RICHMOND, Va. — Author's note: the above video is on file from Feb. 10, 2021.
After a national extension of the federal tax deadline, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said the state Department of Taxation would extend the 2021 deadline for filing individual income taxes to May 17.
That's the same date to which the IRS pushed back the federal tax filing deadline.
In a Friday afternoon release, Northam said this would help simplify the process for Virginians - but if they could file before mid-May, that was still a good idea.
"Even with this extended deadline, we encourage Virginians to file as soon as possible so we can get people the refunds they are entitled to while also protecting the Commonwealth’s strong fiscal footing," he wrote.
Of note - if you owe taxes, you need to make those payments by the new May 17 deadline to avoid penalties.
"While interest may still accrue beyond the original deadline, legislation to address this issue will be considered at April’s reconvened session," the governor's office wrote.
Tax Commissioner Craig Burns encouraged tech-savvy Virginians to file their taxes online this year, if that was an option.
“Filing electronically is the fastest and most efficient way to submit your return, get it processed and get your refund,” Burns wrote in the release. “Due to the COVID-19 protocols that are in place, it could take longer for us to process paper returns.”