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IRS Computer Glitch Extends 2017 Filing Deadline One Day


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IRS Computer Glitch Extends 2017 Filing Deadline One Day

The IRS provided an additional day for taxpayers to file and pay their taxes, following system issues that surfaced early on April 17. Individuals and businesses with a filing or payment due date of April 17 had until midnight on Wednesday, April 18, to file returns and pay taxes. Taxpayers did not need to take extra actions to receive the extra time.

System Issues
The IRS encountered system issues during the morning of Tuesday, April 17. While the system was down, taxpayers could file their tax returns electronically through software providers and Free File. Taxpayers using paper to file and pay their taxes at the deadline were not affected by the system issue.

“Currently [on April 17], certain IRS systems are experiencing technical difficulties. Taxpayers should continue filing their tax returns as they normally would,” the IRS said in a statement sent to Wolters Kluwer on April 17.

“[T]he IRS apologizes for the inconvenience this system issue caused for taxpayers,” said Acting IRS Commissioner David Kautter. “The IRS appreciates everyone’s patience during this period. The extra time will help taxpayers affected by this situation.”

One Day Extension
The IRS advised taxpayers to continue to file their taxes as normal. Returns filed and taxes paid before midnight on Wednesday, April 18—whether electronically or on paper—would be considered timely. In addition, automatic six-month extensions were available to taxpayers who needed additional time to file.

Up and Running Again
On April 18, the IRS informed taxpayers that the Service’s processing systems were fully back up and running, and that the system outage had been caused by a hardware issue. The IRS pointed out that as of 9 a.m. Eastern time on April 18, it had accepted more than 14 million tax submissions since processing systems reopened.

“IRS teams worked hard throughout the night,” explained Kautter. “The overnight performance means that the IRS is current with all of the tax submissions, and no backlog remains.”

The IRS reminded taxpayers that help, including automatic six-month extensions to file, was available at IRS.gov.