Normally, Friday would be the day your 2015 income taxes would be due, but you had a few more days to file this year, and you can thank Abraham Lincoln for that.
Friday was Emancipation Day – an official holiday in Washington D.C. – marking the day the Compensated Emancipation Act was signed by Lincoln. The act signaled the end of slavery in the city of Washington. Typically celebrated on April 16, it was moved to Friday this year as the 16th falls on Saturday.
That made Friday – April 15 or "tax day" – a legal holiday in Washington D.C., the city where the Internal Revenue Service is located. So, the IRS is taking the day off.
As of Thursday, the IRS received 107 million individual income tax returns about 70 percent of the 150.6 million the agency projects that it will receive during 2016.
The date state income tax returns are due has also been moved to April 18.
That holds true for most states, however at least two - Massachusetts and Maine - have an additional day to file taxes due to state holidays. Taxes are due in Massachusetts on April 19 because of Patriots' Day.
Don't celebrate too long, tax returns or extensions must be filed by today. If you need to file an extension, click here for details.
Cox Media Group
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