Dread April 15th Tax Deadline? This Year You Get 3 Extra Days

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WASHINGTON (CBSMiami) — There is good news for South Floridians who simply can't file their tax returns on time. The Internal Revenue Service has postponed this year's deadline for filing federal income taxes until three days later.

That means taxpayers will have until April 18 to file their 2015 returns, thanks to a quirk of the calendar.

Emancipation Day is an official public holiday in the District of Columbia and if usually falls on April 16. The holiday celebrates the end of slavery. Since this year April 16th is a Saturday - not work day - then the observed Emancipation Day moves to the previous day - Friday, April 15th.

Since Emancipation Day is a legal holiday, it gets precedence over the April 15 tax deadline.

"Section 7503 of the Code provides that, when April 15 falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, a return is considered timely filed if it is filed on the next succeeding day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday."
IRS Revenue Ruling 2015-13

Believe it or not, taxpayers in Maine and Massachusetts will get an additional day.

April 18th is also the third Monday in April, which is the date that those two states observe Patriots' Day. Therefore, their residents will have until Tuesday, April 19th, to file their 2015 tax returns.