Question

3-year filing deadline: April 17, 2021 or May 15, 2021?

Forum|Forum|5 years ago
April 15, 2021
2 replies
0 views

I'm an individual filing a late federal income tax return (realize I'm late but I'm trying to get caught up) and have an applied balance (credit). I searched and this same question was asked a few weeks ago but I just want a confirmation of the 3-year windows filing date because I don't want to lose my applied balance if I don't file within the 3 year window. Also because it's typical in business (like financial institutions regarding stale checks as an example) for a date-to-date window to apply (ie April 17, 2018 due date + 3 years would be April 17, 2021), but the prior response I read indicated that because the 2021 filing deadline is now May 15, 2021 (or June 15, 2021 for those in Texas and Louisiana) I could wait until May 15, 2021 (or June 15, 2021 for the two later states) to file a federal income tax return due 3 years ago. Again, I don't owe any tax payment but instead i have a credit just trying not to violate any IRS guidelines. I also tried searching the IRS site and it only mentions the 3-year window but doesn't mention (or at least I couldn't find it) what happens in a delayed filing deadline year. Other people I know who are also filing late have asked me the same question about the filing date. Any clarification or verification is greatly appreciated by myself and late filers.

Raul

M

Mike9241

if you filed 2017 by 5/17/2021 (10/15/2021 if it was properly extended) the overpayment can be applied to 2018 provided the IRS agrees with the amount.

this is from a TurboTax thread

May 17, 2021 is the last day to file your original 2017 tax return to claim a refund. If you received an extension for the 2017 return then your deadline is October 15, 2021.

If you miss the deadline, any excess in the amount of tax you paid every paycheck or sent as quarterly estimated payments in 2017 goes to the U.S. Treasury instead of to you. You also lose the opportunity to apply any refund dollars to another tax year in which you owe income tax.

M

MinhT1

You risk losing your refund if you don't file your return. If you are due a refund for withholding or estimated taxes, you must file your return to claim it within 3 years of the return due date. The same rule applies to a right to claim tax credits such as the Earned Income Credit.

The extension to May 17, 2021 (or June 15 for certain states) applies only to 2020 tax returns. It does not extend the delay for filing late returns.

Please read this IRS document for more information.

**Say "Thanks" by clicking the thumb icon in a post**Mark the post that answers your question by clicking on "Mark as Best Answer"