April 15th is notorious around the country as the day that federal income tax returns are due. It always throws me off when the 15th is a weekend and returns aren't due until the following Monday. However, this year, April 15th is on a Friday. So why is the IRS extending the tax deadline until April 18th?
Turns out, there is a little known District of Columbia holiday called Emancipation Day. Emancipation Day celebrates the freeing of slaves in the District and is on April 16th. Since the 16th falls on a Saturday this year, D.C. is observing the holiday on Friday, April 15th. With a large number of workers in Washington, D.C., the IRS felt it was appropriate to move the filing date to the next business day: Monday, April 18th.
So now you know why your income tax return isn't due until April 18th this year. Hopefully, you won't be working on it all the last weekend. Start getting your papers together now so that filing is easy when W-2s are released.
