Some taxpayers get more time to pay automatically; if you’re not one of them, be sure to file

Though April 15 is tax day for the vast majority of Americans, there are special circumstances that give extensions to some taxpayers. Generally, this has to do with logistical concerns caused by events out of their control. An example is the automatic extension being given to those affected by catastrophic flooding in parts of Nebraska and Iowa.

“They’re going to have extra time to file,” said Michael Devine with the IRS. “Some of them don’t have to worry about
filing or paying until the end of July.”

This applies to those affected by the March 9, 2019, winter storms and flooding in parts of Nebraska and the March 12,
2019, severe storms and flooding in parts of Iowa. They have until July 31, 2019, to file and pay.

It’s also important for those who are on active duty to know that they don’t have to worry about taxes when they are
deployed.

“Those folks who are serving in Iraq, Afghanistan or other combat zones, they have 180 days after they leave country
to file their return,” said Devine. “We’re going to take care of the military.”

If you don’t fall in one of those special categories, get a hold of the IRS right away to work things out, because the
penalties are much worse if you don’t contact them.

“If you don’t file a tax return, you can’t get a refund,” said Devine. “If you owe money, the worst thing you can do is not
file by the deadline. The failure to file penalty is ten times larger than the failure to pay penalty.”

If you need to know how to file for an extension, or how to pay what you owe, that information is avaiable at irs.gov.