On March 18, the Internal Revenue Service provided clarification to special payment relief for individuals and businesses in response to the COVID-19 Outbreak.

For individual returns, income tax payment deadlines with a due date of April 15, 2020, are automatically extended until July 15, 2020, for up to $1 million of their 2019 tax due.

This payment relief applies to all individual returns, including self-employed individuals, and all entities other than C-Corporations, such as trusts or estates. The IRS will automatically provide this relief to taxpayers. Taxpayers do not need to file any additional forms or call the IRS to qualify for this relief.

For C Corporations, income tax payment deadlines are automatically extended until July 15, 2020, for up to $10 million of their 2019 tax due. This relief also includes estimated tax payments for tax year 2020 due on April 15, 2020.

Penalties and interest will begin to accrue on any remaining unpaid balances as of July 16, 2020. If you file your tax return or request an extension of time to file by April 15, 2020, you will automatically avoid interest and penalties on the taxes paid by July 15.

To file a tax extension, please contact a member of your Zinner & Co. Client Service Team.

This relief only applies to federal income tax (including tax on self-employment income) payments otherwise due April 15, 2020, not state tax payments or deposits or payments of any other type of federal tax.

Ohio taxpayers also will need to file their state and municipal income tax returns.

Please remember, the filing deadline for tax returns remains April 15, 2020.

The IRS urges taxpayers who are owed a refund to file as quickly as possible.