IRS delays tax filing deadline until May 17

The IRS is planning to delay its customary April 15 tax filing deadline until May 17, giving taxpayers some breathing room in an unusually chaotic filing season.

Accountants had asked the tax agency to push back the deadline given the ongoing challenges of the coronavirus pandemic for taxpayers and the IRS, which is still dealing with a backlog of tax returns from last year. The delay in the tax deadline was first reported by Bloomberg News. The Treasury and the IRS confirmed late Wednesday that the tax filing deadline would be postopned until May 17. The deadline for tax payments — such as quarterly self-employment taxes or underpaid tax amounts — will also be pushed back until May 17.