Federal, Nebraska tax filing deadline May 17

LINCOLN - Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts has said that the deadline for filing individual income taxes in Nebraska will be extended to May 17, 2021 to match the federal government’s deadline. Ricketts made the announcement during Friday morning’s press conference March 19. May 17 falls on a Monday.

On March 17, the U.S. Treasury Department and the IRS announced the federal income tax filing due date for the 2020 tax year will be extended from April 15, 2021 to May 17, 2021. The IRS will be providing guidelines in the coming days.

From irs.gov:

Individual taxpayers can also postpone federal income tax payments for the 2020 tax year due on April 15, 2021, to May 17, 2021, without penalties and interest, regardless of the amount owed. This postponement applies to individual taxpayers, including individuals who pay self-employment tax. Penalties, interest and additions to tax will begin to accrue on any remaining unpaid balances as of May 17, 2021. Individual taxpayers will automatically avoid interest and penalties on the taxes paid by May 17.

Individual taxpayers do not need to file any forms or call the IRS to qualify for this automatic federal tax filing and payment relief. Individual taxpayers who need additional time to file beyond the May 17 deadline can request a filing extension until Oct. 15 by filing Form 4868 through their tax professional, tax software or using the Free File link on IRS.gov. Filing Form 4868 gives taxpayers until October 15 to file their 2020 tax return but does not grant an extension of time to pay taxes due. Taxpayers should pay their federal income tax due by May 17, 2021, to avoid interest and penalties.

The IRS urges taxpayers who are due a refund to file as soon as possible. Most tax refunds associated with e-filed returns are issued within 21 days.”