Tax Day Extended Until Monday

Usually taxes are due on April 15th. This year an obscure holiday in Washington D.C. has the date pushed back to Monday April 18th.  All you procrastinators can thank Abraham Lincoln for the 72 hour extension.

Emancipation Day is the reason.   The day celebrates Lincoln freeing 3,100 slaves in the District of Columbia, 9 months before signing the famous Emancipation Proclamation.  The holiday falls on April 16th but is being observed today -(of course any reason for federal employees to not work!)  Therefore the Internal Revenue Service has pushed back the due date to Monday.

Even New York State is giving you a 72 hour extension as well.  Should you even need more tile to file, taxpayers can request an extension online, either through the Department's website or by using e-file software.

More information on how to file Form IT-370 can be found at www.tax.ny.gov/pit/file/ext.htm

People filing by mail  need to make sure their returns are postmarked by the close of business Monday, and very important to apply proper postage. It costs 44 cents to mail anything weighing an ounce or less, and 20 cents for each additional ounce -- which is equivalent to about four pages.

So there you go-  If you are one to put off paying your  taxes until the last possible moment, you can thank honest Abe.  Now enjoy your weekend!