IRS chief announces grace period, sets April 18 tax filing date

Taxpayers nationwide will get a few days' grace this year to file their returns thanks to a little-known holiday in the nation's capital. And the head of the IRS promises 1,000 more customer services representative will be available to ease waiting times on information lines.

IRS Commissioner John Koskinen says taxpayers will have until Monday, April 18 to file their taxes. That's because Friday, April 15 is Emancipation Day, a public holiday in Washington D.C. Taxpayers in Maine and Massachusetts will have an additional day because of Patriot's Day.

Koskinen said $290 million approved by Congress last month to improve taxpayer services will ease the problems with hang-ups when calling IRS information lines. Last year, fewer than half of all calls were connected to a staff person.