Tax Filing Deadline Extended For Some Americans After System Glitches
Tax Filing Deadline Extended For Some Americans After System Glitches...
The IRS announced late Tuesday that taxpayers in several states will get extra time to file after technical issues disrupted electronic submissions. The agency confirmed the problems affected "a limited number of filers" using major tax software platforms, including TurboTax and H&R Block.
Taxpayers in California, New York, Texas and six other states now have until April 15 to submit returns without penalty. The extension comes just three days before the original April 11 deadline, which was already pushed back from the traditional April 15 date due to a federal holiday.
"We recognize this created unnecessary stress during an already challenging tax season," IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said in a statement. The agency is working with software providers to resolve the issues, which prevented some users from completing payments or receiving confirmation numbers.
Social media erupted with complaints throughout Tuesday as filers reported error messages and frozen screens. The IRS received over 12,000 outage reports between 5-8 PM ET, according to Downdetector. Some taxpayers expressed frustration after multiple failed attempts to submit returns.
This marks the third consecutive year of significant IRS system disruptions during peak filing season. Congress approved $80 billion in additional IRS funding last year specifically to modernize aging technology infrastructure.
Tax professionals advise affected filers to keep screenshots of error messages and confirmation emails. Those who already paid estimated taxes but couldn't file returns won't face late penalties if they submit by the new deadline.
The IRS expects to process over 160 million individual returns this season. About 90% of Americans typically file electronically, making system reliability critical during the final filing rush.
Free File options remain available through April 15 for taxpayers earning under $79,000 annually. The IRS warns that paper filers should allow 6-8 weeks for processing, compared to 21 days for electronic submissions.
