There is no way that IRS will require all tax returns to be filed by April 15. The date will be extended like last year – maybe not until July 15, but at least June 15.

The announcement may come as soon as today (January 29). They like to drop press-release bombs on a Friday afternoon, then close up shop. They couldn’t do it earlier this month, because there was no one in charge at Treasury to sign off on it. The new Secretary was sworn in on Tuesday. Maybe she’ll need a full week before dealing with IRS, so February 5 is also a date to watch.

IRS hasn’t finished processing millions of 2019 returns. They just finished sending out EIP#2, mostly with debit cards that people don’t understand. Another round of disaster-relief payments will make it through Congress, one way or another, before the end of March. Why would IRS want another backlog of returns?

The tax practitioners with the Commissioner’s ear – Block and Jackson Hewitt – don’t want masked taxpayers sitting down in offices with masked preparers. And they want to stay on good terms with a President who can count 100 days from January 20.

I have two Pfizer shots set for February, which means 95% chance of immunity around March 15. I’m telling clients that maybe I will schedule office appointments after that date. It depends on whether the daily death count from Covid-19 drops below the total death count from 9/11.

Does anyone really think April 15 will be anything other than a nice spring day when maybe baseball can be watched on TV?