Covid-19: Federal and Michigan Tax Day Moved to July 15

The IRS has pushed back both the deadline for filing AND the deadline for tax payments normally due on April 15. The current deadline for 2019 tax returns and tax payments for all taxpayers (individuals, businesses and trusts & estates) is July 15, 2020. The deadline for gift tax and generation skipping tax returns and payments have also been extended to July 15, 2020.

Michigan cities of Grand Rapids and East Lansing immediately followed suit, moving their tax due dates to July 15 as well (the State of Michigan administers the City of Detroit’s city income tax).

However, the State of Michigan had not provided any guidance on whether state 2019 tax returns and payments were still due on April 15. The Michigan Chamber of Commerce (MCC) pointed out that, without a change to Michigan’s deadline, the federal deadline extension is largely meaningless, as a federal return generally is prepared and that information is used to complete a state return.

By Executive Order 2020-26 (https://www.michigan.gov/whitmer/0,9309,7-387-90499_90705-523380--,00.html) Michigan’s Governor Gretchen Whitmer also extended the payment and filing deadline to the same July 15 date for returns and payments due on April 15, and for returns and payments due by April 30, that deadline has been extended to July 31, 2020.

You can always choose to file prior to these deadlines, but if you need the extra time, you will not be penalized for not filing or making a tax payment by the normal April deadline. The July 15 extension is automatic - you do not need to file anything. But if you need an extension beyond that, you will need to follow the normal process and file for an extension.

Photo by Reynaldo #brigworkz Brigantty from Pexels