Patriots' Day extends Massachusetts, Maine state tax deadline, but not federal tax return due date

Experts on both taxes and American history were quick to note that my By the Numbers post on states tax filing deadlines that diverge from the IRS due date neglected to discuss the locales that recognize Patriots' Day.

This legal holiday in Maine and Massachusetts commemorates the first battles of the Revolutionary War at Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775. 

Image courtesy Boston University School of Education

Patriots' Day was originally celebrated on the actual day that Americans fired their first musket shots for freedom, but the holiday eventually was moved to create a three-day weekend. It's now officially on the third Monday of April.

In 2011, that's April 18.

That's also the day this year that federal, and in most cases state, income tax returns are due.

The April 18 federal filing deadline still holds for IRS forms, even those from New England taxpayers. Sorry, but the extra time that Patriots' Day used to buy you for federal filing is no more since the IRS facility in Andover, Mass no longer processes individual tax returns.

Individual federal returns from New England as well as a handful of other states (not all in the Northeast) now go to IRS offices in Kansas City, Mo., or Hartford, Conn., depending on whether the filings contain a payment check. While IRS employees in Missouri and Connecticut certainly appreciate the sacrifices of our revolutionary forebears, they don't get an official holiday, so they're expecting everyone's federal returns by at least April 18.

But the 2011 Patriots' Day holiday does give Massachusetts and Maine taxpayers one extra day to file their state tax returns. The filing deadline for state returns in those two places this year is Tuesday, April 19.

So if you live in the Bay State or the Pine Tree State, finish your federal 1040s by Monday, April 18, or before if you plan to attend Patriots' Day festivities, such as the Boston Marathon or the Red Sox-Blue Jays baseball game.

Then you can finish up your state returns Monday evening when you get home and get them on their way to your state tax office by Tuesday, April 19.

Related posts:

• States that don't conform to the federal filing deadline
• 2011's important tax deadlines
• State tax e-filing options
• Eyeing the tax calendar (2006)
• State Tax Departments
• By the Numbers (2011)

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Comments

[Kay]

Dan,
Since Patriots' Day is a state, not federal, holiday, the post offices in Maine and Massachusetts will be open for business. Don't wait until Tuesday to file federal taxes; they'll be late by then! Kay

[Dan D. Lyin]

I live in Maine, and although my tax filings have been taken care of already, what about the people that typically deal with their federal AND state tax returns at the same time, always? When someone indicates that they have done their taxes, they usual mean both state and federal. There are some -if not many- tax payers which will wait inevitably until tomorrow, Monday the 18th, to post and mail their returns, both state and federal. Only they will find that their post office is closed, and assume after some emergency research, that Tues. the 19th is okay to get out the federal and state return. However, the federal return WILL be late?

Perhaps I am confused? Is the USPS open for business in ME/MA Monday, the 18th?