WASHINGTON, D.C. —U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today introduced a bipartisan bill to extend the tax filing deadline from April 15, 2020, to July 15, 2020, which would build upon the Treasury Department’s previous announcement that it would extend the tax payment deadline for filers who owe the IRS for the 2019 tax year. The bipartisan Tax Filing Relief for America Act, also supported by Senators John Thune (R-S.D.) and Steve Daines (R-Mont.), would provide greater clarity to taxpayers and allow those who need to travel to a secondary location to acquire documents or meet with an accountant to follow CDC’s ongoing guidelines with respect to the coronavirus outbreak. The legislation would also preserve the right of taxpayers who are owed refunds to file their tax returns and get their hard-earned money back immediately.

“In this unprecedented moment, we should be doing everything possible to relieve economic worries and encourage Americans to practice social distancing,” said Senator King. “This is particularly important for older Americans, including Maine people who already have been in touch with my office, who at this moment are being forced to choose between listening to the CDC’s guidelines to avoid social contact or going into an accountant’s office to get their taxes in on time. By moving the tax filing deadline back, we can offer some breathing room for millions of Americans who are trying to do their civic duty and protect their communities.”

Senator King has strongly pushed for proactive efforts to encourage social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic. In the last several days, he has urged the President to issue an executive order directing federal agencies to maximize telework, called on the President to use his existing authority to help address widespread shortages of medical equipment including ventilators, and joined a group of his colleagues to call on the Federal Communications Commission to temporarily use E-Rate program funding to provide Wi-Fi hotspots or devices with Wi-Fi capability to students who lack internet access at home.