Tax filing deadlines moved back for some
People who file local taxes should check with their city government.
DAYTON — Following federal and Ohio extensions, many local cities have extended the filing deadlines for tax returns.
The IRS and Ohio Department of Taxation moved the filing and payment deadline for individual income and school district income taxes for tax year 2020 to May 17 from April 5.
Last year, the tax deadline was in July.
Kelly Gibson, of CPA Dayton, an accounting firm in Kettering, said the extension gave him and other accountants a little more time, but he said the industry is always geared toward the April 15 deadline.
“The struggle for us was going
Tax filing
to be if Ohio had one deadline and the federal had another deadline, because your Ohio return depends on the federal return,” Gibson said.
He said it was a “welcome change” both deadlines are on the same day.
Some local municipalities have moved their deadlines, though Gary Gudmundson, a spokesman for the Ohio Department of Taxation, said it was up to local departments to decide if they wanted to extend the deadline for local taxes.
Check with your local tax department if you are unsure of the deadline.
Some municipalities who said on Thursday they would move their deadline to May 17 include: Centerville, Clayton, Dayton Fairborn, Hamilton, Huber Heights, Kettering, Middletown, Oakwood, Springfield, Vandalia, Xenia and Yellow Springs.
Ohio will waive penalty on tax due payments made during the extension. As part of the legislation passed addressing the continuing emergency, there will be no interest charges to payments made during the extension.
The Ohio Department of Taxation said the first quarter estimated income tax payment for tax year 2021 is not impacted by this extension and must still be made by April 15.
The Ohio Society of CPAs tax policy director Greg Saul said the organization’s membership was divided on the issue of moving back the state tax deadline.
He said the deadline moving back does help CPAs evaluate their workload, since many accountants are working on Payment Protection Program loans and other federal relief programs and their workloads are likely higher than last year.
Saul also noted the Ohio legislature recently passed Senate Bill 18, which would make Ohio conform with recent changes to federal tax law.
If Gov. Mike DeWine signs the bill, it would exclude $10,200 in unemployment compensation from income tax for those making under $150,000 and allow tax-deductible expenses from the
Paycheck Protection Program.
Other provisions in the bill include excluding the 2020 and 2021 Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation refunds/dividends from the commercial activity tax and excluding PPP loans from the Consolidated Appropriations Act from the commercial activity tax.
The bill is emergency legislation, so if signed, it would take effect immediately.