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Pennsylvania House of Representatives
09/15/2024 12:22 PM
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?SPick=20210&chamber=H&cosponId=34096
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House of Representatives
Session of 2021 - 2022 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: January 12, 2021 06:22 PM
From: Representative Daniel J. Deasy
To: All House members
Subject: Resolutions Calling for Extension of the April 15, 2021 Income Tax Filing Deadline
 
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on our country and continues to impact every state across this great nation.   Millions of taxpayers are still unemployed and hundreds of thousands of businesses are struggling to survive.   We must continue to do all we can to assist residents and business owners most impacted as the Commonwealth begins the distribution of the vaccine. 
 
On March 20, 2020, the United States Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service as well as the PA Department of Revenue provided special tax filing and payment relief to individuals and businesses in response to the COVID-19 Outbreak by extending the filing deadline for 2019 tax returns from April 15, 2020, to July 15, 2020. 
 
This was a vital and important reprieve for those who were devastated with job loss and business closures due to the widespread impact of COVID-19. 
 
I am, therefore, introducing a resolution calling on the United States Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service to extend the April 15, 2021 deadline for filing 2020 tax returns and a second resolution calling on the PA Department of Revenue and the Department of Community and Economic Development to extend the state tax deadline and local tax deadline respectively.  These extensions would mirror those that extended the 2019 income tax filing deadline until July 15, 2020. 
 
An extension is needed for the 2021 filing deadline for many reasons:
 
  1. Those collecting unemployment and the federal pandemic unemployment benefits who have not had taxes withheld have a tax obligation in 2021 for benefits received in 2020.  An extensions will allow those most financially impacted by COVID-19 additional time to meet their tax obligation in 2021.  Keep in mind that hundreds of thousands of these taxpayers are still not back to work and a tax obligation now is yet another additional burden for which they cannot afford.
 

  1. Free income tax preparation programs, such as AARP TaxAide and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) tax service, provide a vital service to low-income and senior citizens and the loss of these free, in-person preparation programs will have a devastating impact.   This impact was visible in 2020 when these free programs were forced to stop vital services and cancel free assistance to hundreds of thousands of appointments nationally in March, 2020.  Low-income and senior taxpayers were forced to utilize a paid service, which for many cost 50% or more of their anticipated tax refund.
     
  2. Small businesses, especially bars and restaurants, have been either closed or open with limited capacity since March, resulting in the loss of the majority of their revenue in 2020.  We need to give them as much time as possible to meet any tax obligations they have for 2020.
     
  3. A filing deadline extension would allow time for the COVID-19 vaccine to be administered further allowing those unemployed to get back to work and permit free tax-aide programs to safely facilitate in-person tax aide assistance to low-income and senior citizen taxpayers.
 
Since March 20, COVID case numbers have skyrocketed and our nation has experienced hundreds of thousands of deaths.  And, although we are now in the very beginning phases of a vaccine distribution, we continue to battle with the virus and expect it will be many months until we can truly start turning the corner.
 
 
 
I hope you will join me by co-sponsoring these two vitally important resolutions that will provide much-needed relieve for taxpayers and small business owners.

 
 



Document #1

Introduced as HR26

Description: #1.  This resolution calls upon the United States Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service to extend the April 15, 2021 income tax filing deadline for 2020  until July 15, 2021.
 

Document #2

Introduced as HR25

Description: #2.  This resolution calls upon the PA Department of Revenue and the Department of Community and Economic Development to extend the state tax deadline and local tax deadline respectively from April 15, 2021 to July 15, 2021. 
 

Memo Updated: January 12, 2021 06:23 PM