This year, your tax return is due Monday, April 18 rather than the regular April 15.
But don’t thank Tim Geithner and his IRS posse for the extra time. It’s because the District of Columbia observes Emancipation Day on Friday, April 15, even though it falls on Saturday, April 16. And filing deadlines can't fall on Saturdays, Sundays or holidays.
Never heard of Emancipation Day? Let me enlighten you …
According to Wikipedia, on April 16, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Compensated Emancipation Act for the release of certain persons held to service or labor in the District of Columbia. The Act freed about 3,100 enslaved persons in the District of Columbia nine months before President Lincoln issued his famous Emancipation Proclamation. The District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act represents the only example of compensation by the federal government to former owners of emancipated slaves.
So go ahead and use those three extra days to procrastinate a bit longer. And come next Monday, if you still haven’t found the ambition to get that pesky 1040 filled out,
you can always opt for a 6-month extension.
Happy Returns!
George
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