The IRS last week reminded individuals and businesses, affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, that they may qualify for late-filing penalty relief if they file their 2019 and 2020 returns by September 30, 2022. The relief, applies to the failure-to-file penalty. The penalty is typically assessed at a rate of 5% per month, up to 25% of the unpaid tax, when a federal income tax return is filed late.
For anyone who has gotten behind on their taxes during the pandemic, this is a great opportunity to get caught up. To qualify for relief, any eligible income tax return must be filed on or before September 30, 2022.
Those who file during the first few months after the September 30 cutoff will still qualify for partial penalty relief. That’s because, for eligible returns filed after that date, the penalty starts accruing on October 1, 2022, rather than the return’s original due date. Because the penalty accrues, based on each month or part of a month that a return is late, filing sooner will limit any charges that apply.
Besides providing relief to both individuals and businesses impacted by the pandemic, this step is designed to allow the IRS to focus its resources on processing backlogged tax returns and taxpayer correspondence to help return to normal operations for the 2023 filing season. Sounds like a good plan right?!?
If you need help getting your 2019 and 2020 tax returns filed, reach out to me and we will gladly assist.