Tax filing deadline set for Monday following 1-month extension

PHOENIX — The deadline is quickly approaching for Americans to file their taxes for 2020 after a one-month extension.

Monday’s deadline is later than the typical April 15 cutoff and was intended to provide more breathing room for taxpayers and the Internal Revenue Service alike to cope with changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

David Tucker, a spokesman with the IRS, said taxpayers expecting a refund would benefit from filing electronically and choosing direct deposit.

“We encourage people to file electronically and if they are due a refund, we strongly encourage all people to request a direct deposit that way any tax refunds due directly go into the bank account they specify,” Tucker told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News on Thursday.

Tucker offered a reminder that those eligible to receive stimulus checks who either didn’t receive one or didn’t receive a full amount can claim a credit on their tax form.

The recovery rebate credit is available through the Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR.

“They should look at completing that recovery rebate credit section and that way they can claim any additional money they may have been owed that they weren’t actually paid when those economic impact payments went out,” Tucker said.

The decision to extend the deadline came after an intense year for the chronically underfunded IRS.

The pandemic hit in the middle of last year’s tax filing season, setting the agency back in terms of processing.

The IRS has been a key player in doling out government relief payments and is currently helping to send out the third round of payments in the middle of the current tax filing season.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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