Menu
Tax Notes logo

Neal, Pascrell Demand That IRS Extend Filing Season

Posted on Mar. 9, 2021

Top Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee are urging the IRS to extend the filing season for the second year in a row. 

The April 15 deadline doesn’t give taxpayers enough time to accurately file their returns, especially once the next pandemic relief package becomes law and changes some of the tax laws applicable to unemployment benefits, Ways and Means Committee Chair Richard E. Neal, D-Mass., and Oversight Subcommittee Chair Bill Pascrell Jr., D-N.J., said in a March 8 joint statement.

The number of returns filed is lower than it was this time last year, as is the number of returns processed by the IRS, and only 27 percent of phone calls to the agency are being answered, indicating that “taxpayers cannot get the help they need from the IRS,” the lawmakers said. 

“We want to remind the IRS that many Americans continue to face the same health and economic challenges that necessitated an extension last year,” Neal and Pascrell said. “Facing enormous strain and anxiety, taxpayers need flexibility now.” 

On February 23 IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig told members of the House that the IRS doesn’t see a need to extend the filing deadline nationally, although the idea remains under consideration. 

Rettig said individuals can still get a filing extension to October 15, but that a sweeping extension would create confusion for taxpayers and cause backups at the IRS

Growing Support

The National Association of Tax Professionals joined a growing list of those in favor of extending the filing deadline in a recent letter to Rettig.

The organization surveyed tax professionals and found that 71 percent of respondents said they would support a later filing date. The delayed start to e-filing, limited assistance from the IRS, and a lack of guidance were among the reasons cited for wanting an extension. 

“An extension will significantly help preparers as they continue to wait for filing guidance as well as the many taxpayers who continue to experience health and economic challenges not unlike what was faced during the 2020 tax season,” the letter said. 

Democrats on the Ways and Means Committee, the American Institute of CPAs, and AARP have also expressed support for a later filing deadline within the last month.

Copy RID