The real, actual, final deadline to file 2022 federal and state tax returns to the government arrives Thursday, Nov. 16.
State and federal tax filing deadlines were extended this spring to Oct. 16 after winter storms and mudslides prompted three different FEMA disaster declarations across much of the state.
More on the filing deadline: Tax filing deadline, for most Californians, shifts to October
A month ago, on the day of the extended deadline, the IRS surprised taxpayers and the Franchise Tax Board when it again extended the California deadline, this time to mid-November.
More on the extension: Why did my accountant insist I file before Oct. 16?
The IRS did not provide a reason for the last-minute extension a month ago. Some speculate that because the agency also extended the payment deadline for filers, many Californians, who represent 12% of US taxpayers, opted to keep their money until the last possible filing day.
That likely meant a flood of last-minute returns started hitting tax preparers and IRS checkers who then beseeched the government for more time.
The extension covers 55 of California’s 58 counties. Taxpayers in Lassen, Modoc and Shasta counties were excluded.
The IRS said the extension includes most 2022 individual and business returns originally due April 18. Other business returns, normally due on March 15 and April 18, and returns of tax-exempt organizations typically due on May 15, also were extended to Oct. 16 and now Nov. 16.
The IRS and the state are offering relief to residents living in areas designated as disaster zones by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The list of counties includes Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside in addition to 37 others.