State of Arkansas
93rd General Assembly
Regular Session, 2021
By: Senator Hickey
By: Representative Jett
A Bill
For An Act To Be Entitled
AN ACT TO TEMPORARILY EXTEND THE INCOME TAX FILING DEADLINE; TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
Subtitle
TO TEMPORARILY EXTEND THE INCOME TAX FILING DEADLINE; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 26-51-806(a)(2), concerning the time for filing income tax returns, is amended to read as follows:
(2) Returns for all income taxes other than cooperative associations and exempt organizations shall be filed as follows:
(A) If covering the preceding calendar year:
(i) For a Subchapter C corporation, on or before April 15; or and
(ii) For all other taxpayers, on or before May 17; or
(B) If covering a fiscal year, on or before the expiration of three and one-half (3½) months after the closing date of the period covered.
SECTION 2. DO NOT CODIFY. TEMPORARY LANGUAGE — SUSPENSION OF CURRENT LAW — EXPIRATION OF ACT.
(a) This act is cumulative of existing laws and does not repeal but merely suspends any law in conflict with this act, including without limitation § 26-51-806.
(b) The provisions of this act are temporary and expire on May 18, 2021.
(c) On and after May 18, 2021, the provisions of law suspended by this act shall be in full force and effect.
(d) The expiration of this act shall not affect rights acquired under this act or affect suits then pending.
SECTION 3. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that it is in the interest of the taxpayer to temporarily change the current deadline for filing and paying state income tax for certain taxpayers as a result of the federal income tax changes to address public health and financial issues related to the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic; that the federal government has amended the time for filing federal income tax returns to May 17 due to the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic; that different federal and state income tax filing deadlines will create additional confusion and place a burden on Arkansas taxpayers; and that it is necessary to make immediate changes to the filing deadline to alleviate the financial burden on Arkansas taxpayers before the April 15 deadline. Therefore, an emergency is declared to exist, and this act being immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health, and safety shall become effective on:
(1) The date of its approval by the Governor;
(2) If the bill is neither approved nor vetoed by the Governor, the expiration of the period of time during which the Governor may veto the bill; or
(3) If the bill is vetoed by the Governor and the veto is overridden, the date the last house overrides the veto.
APPROVED: 4/12/21