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The deadline for Missourians to file their taxes is fast approaching, but the state announced today that taxpayers will get a small break. KSMU’s Mike Donnelly reports.
The Missouri Department of Revenue is extending the original Friday, April 15th deadline by three days--till Monday April 18th.
The reason for the extension? Emancipation Day. This year, Emancipation Day falls on a Saturday (April 16th), and the public holiday will be observed the day before. Missouri is following the lead of the Internal Revenue Service, which announced in January that it would be extending the federal tax deadline to April 18th.
For many, the new deadline is welcome news, but they should still be careful not to put off filing their taxes until the last minute. The Department of Revenue recommends that people file electronically because the IRS will receive the documents quicker, and also because it reduces the chance of errors. Another benefit is faster refunds for those who are expecting them.
To assist with those who may need help filing their taxes, Missouri State University is currently offering help through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. Dr. Sandra Byrd, an accounting professor at the university and director of the Public Service Tax Clinic, gives the details on the program.
“The VITA program is a volunteer program where our students help people who earn under $50,000 or who are older than 60 years old, prepare their individual income tax returns. Then we e-file them for free. We prepare not only federal returns, but we also prepare the Missouri Property Tax Credit,” Byrd says.
The Missouri State University VITA program runs until April 15 at the Library Center on South Campbell. The program will not stay open any additional days for the deadline extensions, but will extend its hours until 7 p.m. on Friday, April 15th.
For more information on MSU’s VITA program, call 864-0030 or go to our website, ksmu.org.
For KSMU News, I'm Mike Donnelly.