Here is the simple scoop you need to know:
- Partnerships and S-corporations are due March 15. The reason these are filed first is that the information reported must flow through and be used as input to prepare other types of tax returns to follow. This is why tax geeks refer to them as “flow through entities”.
- Individuals and C-corporations are due April 15.
- Nonprofit organizations are due May 15.
- Filing an extension pushed the due date back six months to September 15, October 15 and November 15, respectively. The term “automatic extension” means that if you applied for an extension and can prove that you did, the IRS (and most state and local governments) will honor the later deadline even though they did not respond to the application for extension. Do not assume that the extension is granted without proof of application.
- If the due date is on a weekend or a holiday, the due date is pushed back to the following work day.
- Nonprofit corporations follow the nonprofit schedule and not the corporate calendar schedule. I had three questions on this over the past week and that’s what prompted this blog post.