Taxpayers urged to file electronically

By ERIC SEIVERLING

eseiverling@yourmvi.com

Taxpayers received a respite this year from both the Internal Revenue Service and the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue when they pushed back the deadline for 2020 income tax returns and tax payments by a month due to the COVID-19 pandemic that caused job losses and financial hardships.

The personal income tax filing deadline was originally set for Thursday, but the departments in March announced a new extension of midnight May 17.

The extension of the filing deadline means the state’s Department of Revenue will waive penalties and interest on final 2020 personal income tax returns and payments through the new deadline in May. The Revenue Department reminds residents that any taxpayer who received more than $33 in total gross taxable income in calendar year 2020 must file a Pennsylvania personal income tax return.

“We want to make sure that Pennsylvanians know they have an additional month this year to file their 2020 returns and make final payments,” Revenue Secretary Dan Hassell said. “We are strongly encouraging taxpayers to file their returns online and make payments electronically. 

“Taking these steps will lead to faster processing of returns and payments, while also helping us issue refunds as quickly as possible for the taxpayers who are expecting one.”

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