When Can I File My 2015 Taxes in 2016
Published:
The information and dates in the table below shows the official 2016 deadlines for filing 2015 tax returns and requesting tax extensions.
Begin Your Free E-file
It's the easiest and most accurate way to file your tax returns for both federal and state.
The Internal Revenue Service announced that the nation’s tax season will begin on Tuesday, January 19, 2016. The IRS will begin accepting individual electronic returns that day. The IRS expects to receive more than 150 million individual returns in 2016, with more than four out of five being prepared using tax return preparation software and e-filed.
The filing deadline to submit 2015 tax returns is Monday, April 18, 2016, rather than the traditional April 15 date. Washington, D.C., will celebrate Emancipation Day on that Friday, which pushes the deadline to the following Monday for most of the nation. (Due to Patriots Day, the deadline will be Tuesday, April 19, in Maine and Massachusetts.)
Know that while you can file your taxes anytime after the start of the year, the IRS will not process any returns (paper or electronic) until IRS e-File goes live on January 19, 2016. The IRS also reiterated that filing your taxes electronically is the most accurate way to file a tax return and the fastest way to get a refund.
2016 Federal IRS Tax Filing Dates and Deadlines
| 2016 Deadline | Tax Related Activity |
|---|---|
| January 1, 2016 | First day to file a 2015 tax return, though the IRS generally will not accept e-file and free file returns until the date below. Even paper based filings won't be processed till later in the month |
| January 19, 2016 | IRS E-file to go live, allowing submission of electronic tax returns for the vast majority of tax filers. Paper tax returns will begin processing from this date as well |
| January 31, 2016 | Date by which you should have received a W-2 from employers you worked for during the tax year. If not, contact their HR/Payroll department to resend tax documents |
| April 18, 2016 | *Tax Day* Last day for filing federal income tax returns and extension requests. This is a few days later than the normal mid-April date since Washington, D.C., will celebrate Emancipation Day on the 15th |
| April 18, 2016 | Deadline for filing state income tax returns (for most states) and extension requests |
| October 15, 2016 | Filing extended 2015 federal and state income returns. Note: you still need to file for an extension request by April 18th |
| April 15, 2019 | Filing a 2015 tax amendment. You can file an amended or previous year return anytime, but you have a deadline of 3 years from the original due date to claim any tax refund. |
Related Articles
You May Also Like
