Rep. Max Rose to IRS: Extend tax filing deadline to Oct. 15

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Federal tax delay could happen, Trump says

President Trump says executive orders to delay federal taxes could happen to help businesses recover from revenue lost due to coronavirus.

Rep. Max Rose, D-N.Y., urged the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Friday to extend the tax filing deadline another three months, citing the ongoing financial fallout of the coronavirus pandemic on families and small businesses.

Rose wrote to IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig Friday requesting the updated July 15 tax deadline be extended to Oct. 15 without penalty because of limited revenues, lack of free tax preparation services and IRS backlogs.

"[T]axpayers are distressed, and reasonably so,” Rose wrote in a letter to Rettig.

TAX DAY DELAYED AGAIN? CORONAVIRUS CONCERNS SPARK CALLS FOR OCTOBER DEADLINE

Rose said in his hard-hit New York City district “revenue streams are still dry, free in-person tax preparation resources are impossible to secure, and many have not received their federal tax refunds after filing months ago," Rose wrote. "The prospect of paying the entirety of taxes owed by July 15, or incur interest and penalties should they file an extension, is daunting."

Rep. Max Rose, D-N.Y., wants the tax filing deadline extended to Oct. 15.

The National Treasury Employees Union already called on the government to delay the deadline for filing individual income returns to Oct. 15 from July 15.

The group pointed out the pandemic continues to weigh on the U.S. economy – with more than 44 million Americans filing for unemployment in the last three months and the unemployment rate hitting 13.3 percent.

“Americans are carrying a stressful load right now and the least we can do is give them a few more months to do their taxes,” NTEU National President Tony Reardon said in a statement last month.

The Trump administration announced in March it would extend the filing deadline until July 15 from April 15 – marking the first time in history the deadline has been moved.

TRUMP OPEN TO ADDITIONAL CORONAVIRUS TAX DEADLINE DELAYS

Extending the deadline out further would also allow the IRS to continue to bring personnel back in a safe manner to help process the returns, the NTEU said.

As previously reported by FOX Business, President Trump has said he is open to additional tax deadline delays as a means to help Americans weather coronavirus-related financial stresses.

“We have to help people,” Trump said during a press briefing at the White House in May. “We could do things … through executive order or otherwise that can help a lot of people – as an example like delays, we could do delays of various filings. And yeah, I could see that happening.”

So far, the IRS isn't budging. "July 15th remains the filing deadline for 2019 tax returns and payment of any tax liabilities," an IRS spokesperson told Fox News Friday.

Fox Business's Brittany De Lea contributed to this report.