Form 1040 Filing Date Is April 18 This Year

By Marcia Richards Suelzer, Toolkit Staff Writer

Individual tax returns are not due until Monday, April 18, 2011, because the District of Columbia observes Emancipation Day on April 15 this year.

In a tax rule that seldom comes into play, District of Columbia holidays impact tax deadlines in the same way that federal holidays do. The due date for any tax return or payment that falls on a federal or District of Columbia holiday is extended to the next business day.

Because April 15 is a Friday, everyone has three extra days this year to file their individual returns, or request a filing extension on Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time To File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, this year.

• Act Now. If you always wait for your tax forms to arrive in the mail before you start considering your taxes, you need to change your strategy this year. This is the first filing season that tax packages will not be mailed to individuals or businesses. You can still get any forms and instructions that you need online at the IRS website, or you can visit local IRS offices or participating libraries and post offices.

Posted January 5, 2011.