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FireUpChips10

(23,980 posts)
Wed Apr 14, 2021, 10:40 AM Apr 2021

Reminder: Estimated taxes are still due tomorrow. The May 17 deadline only applies to 2020 returns.

While the IRS and many states recently postponed the tax filing deadline to May 17, that only applies to 2020 tax returns.

Your 2021 first-quarter tax payment is still due tomorrow, April 15.

There's a lot more detailed info on the IRS website, but you can avoid estimated tax penalties in one of two ways:

1. Figure out your total tax for 2021, divide it by four, and give the IRS at least 90% of that amount. The caveat is that if you only pay 90% of your estimated taxes, you'll probably still owe something when you file next year.

2. Figure out your total tax for 2020 (line 24 of your 1040) and give the IRS 1/4 of that amount. The caveat here is that your 2021 and 2020 taxes might be quite a bit different; if this year's tax is higher, then you could still be in for a big bill when you file your 2021 return next spring (on top of your estimated payment for Q1 2022).

You might find form 1040-ES helpful, but it's not required.

If your employer, pension administrator, broker, etc. withheld federal income taxes between January 1 and March 31, then that counts toward your Q1 payment (only your federal withholding - not your Social Security or Medicare withholdings).

State estimated taxes are another story altogether.

7 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Reminder: Estimated taxes are still due tomorrow. The May 17 deadline only applies to 2020 returns. (Original Post) FireUpChips10 Apr 2021 OP
Indeed. Sibelius Fan Apr 2021 #1
WARNING: If you use EFTPS or the IRS phone#, you must submit by 8 pm ET TONIGHT, the 14th progree Apr 2021 #2
Taxes are a fail here. bucolic_frolic May 2021 #3
They must be busy - they need another 90 days, on top of 90 days to respond progree May 2021 #4
I see May 17 is fast approaching: I owe federal and state a combined $10,000, sigh progree May 2021 #5
Honestly, while this extension is nice, I'm a bit lacking PoindexterOglethorpe May 2021 #6
$41 extra in investment returns on the extra month I had the money invested progree May 2021 #7

Sibelius Fan

(24,388 posts)
1. Indeed.
Wed Apr 14, 2021, 10:47 AM
Apr 2021

Most taxpayers don’t have to pay anything until May 17:

“The deadline to file a 2020 individual federal return and pay any tax owed has been extended to May 17, about a month later than the typical April deadline. The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service moved the date to give filers, tax preparers and the I.R.S. itself more time to adjust to disruptions from the coronavirus pandemic.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/09/your-money/taxes-filing-deadline.html

progree

(10,883 posts)
2. WARNING: If you use EFTPS or the IRS phone#, you must submit by 8 pm ET TONIGHT, the 14th
Wed Apr 14, 2021, 11:20 AM
Apr 2021
"must be scheduled by 8 p.m. ET the day before the due date to be received timely by the IRS"
-- https://www.eftps.gov/eftps/

Meaning that one must do it TODAY (the 14th by 8p ET). The 15th is too late.

"You can ((also)) always make a tax payment by calling our voice response system at 1.800.555.3453. " (but it has the same deadline as eftps.gov).

bucolic_frolic

(42,982 posts)
3. Taxes are a fail here.
Sat May 8, 2021, 05:57 PM
May 2021

I mailed them 2 months ago. I assume they got them, because my state and local went through ok. But you need a definite tax refund amount to probe the IRS status, and I don't have that. Also no Stim #2 and #3 yet. IRS has stated they are working on paper returns, slowly. And this week they said only 15% of Stims remain incomplete.

progree

(10,883 posts)
4. They must be busy - they need another 90 days, on top of 90 days to respond
Sat May 8, 2021, 10:02 PM
May 2021

to my response.

# 11/12/20 - I received a CP2000 saying I didn't report some retirement income and so I owe $2,900 in taxes

# 11/16/20 - I mailed my response to the IRS showing proof that I had declared that supposedly missing income

# 2/5/21 - Got a response -- the first time I heard from them -- "We received your reply on Nov. 20, 2020 to our notice about proposed changes to some of the items on your tax return. Before we resolve this matter, we need to process all of your information. We'll send you our complete response within 90 days."

# 5/8/21 (yes, today) - Got another response - IRS 5/3/21 letter received 5/8/21 - "We received your reply on Nov. 20, 2020 to our notice about proposed changes to some of the items on your tax return. Before we can resolve this matter, we need to process all of your information. We'll send you our complete response within 90 days"

Very annoying to be accused of not reporting income that I reported, and then to have this hanging over my head for nearly 6 months as of today, and perhaps 9 months. All the while it's accumulating interest (maybe penalties too) if at the end of all of this, they somehow deem I owe the $2,900. Was also very irritating that they didn't provide any detail about why they think I didn't report the amount that I supposedly didn't report.

Details: https://www.democraticunderground.com/11212509

(Note to myself: 20.JAH a2.d)

progree

(10,883 posts)
5. I see May 17 is fast approaching: I owe federal and state a combined $10,000, sigh
Sat May 8, 2021, 10:19 PM
May 2021

(it was pre-planned, under safe harbor there will be no interest or penalty ).

PoindexterOglethorpe

(25,808 posts)
6. Honestly, while this extension is nice, I'm a bit lacking
Tue May 11, 2021, 01:06 AM
May 2021

in understanding why everyone doesn't get it done as close to April 15 a possible. Clearly I'm missing something.

progree

(10,883 posts)
7. $41 extra in investment returns on the extra month I had the money invested
Tue May 11, 2021, 02:55 AM
May 2021

that was nominally due April 15 but don't have to pay until May 17. Not a biggie, but why not?

A much larger amount was saved by taking advantage of the interest-free and penalty-free "safe harbor" in not paying in estimated taxes in 2020 beyond 100% of my 2019 taxes.

The above is taking advantage of the time to pay taxes. I filed my tax return several days before April 15 just to get it off the to-do list. I didn't see anyone in this thread or in this group saying they had delayed filing their tax return.

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