Strengthening Our Communities: Tax Filing Deadlines

by Kristin Higgins - June 24, 2020

Community, Professional and Economic Development staff are sharing educational information with Arkansans on public radio through KUAR. The following post recently aired on KUAR, although some edits have been made for airtime.

Listen on KUAR

Did you know April 15 was not always the federal income tax filing deadline?

For many years after the Sixteenth Amendment established a national income tax in 1913, Americans filed their taxes in March. A tax policy overhaul in 1954 pushed us forward a month to April 15. There have been minor allowances and extensions based on natural disasters or whether April 15 fell on the holidays or weekends.

This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Internal Revenue Service has extended the tax filing and payment deadline to July 15. Arkansas also extended the state filing deadline for individual income taxes to July 15.

More than 84 million people have filed their 2019 taxes so far this year. You can find more information about tax deadlines and free resources at IRS.gov.