Reminders ahead of the 2020 tax return deadline

HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) – The Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, announced the deadline to file and pay most federal income taxes for the 2020 tax year was extended from April 15 to May 17.

Individuals also have until May 17 to meet certain deadlines that would normally fall on April 15, like making IRA contributions and filing certain claims for a refund.

Larry Skillman, who owns several Jackson Hewitt Tax Service locations in the Shenandoah Valley, has some reminders for filers leading up to the May 17 deadline.

“Most folks prepare for the April 15 deadline, so there’s room for those, especially those who may have unemployment, to get their forms or go online to get their forms,” Skillman said.

Skillman said he has seen about five to eight percent of filers claim stimulus checks they did not receive in 2020, but he said if clients do that, they will have to wait a bit longer for their refund.

“We can put that on their return and they can reclaim it, but it does hold up their return, the IRS says, for about eight weeks,” Skillman said. “I don’t think we’ve seen it take that long, but that is [what the IRS said.]”

To make sure you meet the deadline, Skillman said do not wait until the last minute.

“You may have to call and make appointments,” he said. “Some offices are taking walk-ins, but don’t just walk into any office because the COVID has restricted some of the offices, of course, as to how many people can be in them at a time.”

Those experiencing homelessness do not need to file taxes, but they are eligible for stimulus payments.

“If you don’t have an address or a bank account, you can go to the IRS website, go into the Free File, and there’s a list of people that can help them sign up to get those stimulus checks.”

For those that did not receive the third stimulus check, Skillman said filers will be able to claim those on their 2021 taxes that will be filed in 2022.

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