The IRS recently announced the U.S. tax filing deadline will not be extended like it was last year, meaning Americans who had until July this past year will have to hop to it. The decision to enact a 90-day extension for filing 2019 taxes came at the end of March last year when 52% of people said they had already filed their taxes.
This year the announcement comes much earlier giving citizens plenty of time to get their documents in order.
In a survey of more than 2,500 U.S. adults, 71% support the IRS’ decision to uphold the usual deadline of April 15 this year.
People making under $50K per year show slightly more discontent with not getting an extension to file their taxes. While those making over $150K have the greatest percentage of those who “strongly agree,” overall agreement is highest among those making between $50K and $100K.
In a similar vein, overall support – “strongly agree” and “somewhat agree” combined – of the IRS’ decision is highest among those who have been working remotely, while those who say they are still working as usual (not remotely or with changes to hours or pay) said they “strongly support” the decision at a higher rate.
In addition, response to another survey indicates people with less concern about their employment situation are less riled up over the tax filing date. People who expressed some level of concern over maintaining a job or paycheck were more opposed to having to file by April 15. However, even these individuals are mostly in support of not moving the deadline.
Lastly, feeling like you’re financially worse off as a result of the pandemic definitely correlates with disapproval of the IRS upholding the tax filing deadline this year.
After a rough year, folks are used to catching a break here and there from businesses, government agencies, and the like. But when it comes to filing taxes, perhaps receiving the actual return is more crucial than getting more time to work on it.
