Gov. Asa Hutchinson has extended the individual income tax filing deadline, moving the date back one month.
On Friday, March 19, Hutchinson announced that he would be moving the deadline to Monday, May 17. This announcement follows the U.S. Treasury Department’s and the Internal Revenue Service’s decision to push the deadline for filing federal income taxes to May 17.
Hutchinson said the decision to push the state tax deadline was intended to have both deadlines coincide on the same day. He also emphasized that the move would help Arkansans as the economy continues to improve in the wake of significant unemployment.
“Pushing back the due date for state income tax is a simple way to help Arkansans in light of the extension of the federal tax deadline,” Hutchinson said in a statement. “The number of our COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths continues to decline, and Arkansas is quickly rebounding. As the economy and our unemployment rate continue to improve, we will do all we can to help Arkansans to recover during the public health crisis.”
Hutchinson issued a proclamation on March 19, authorizing the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration Secretary to grant the time extension on state income taxes. “There is an urgent need for the State of Arkansas to bring relief to its citizens by extending the individual tax filing and payment date to be consistent with the extensions granted by the federal government,” the order reads.
In 2020, both the federal government and the state of Arkansas pushed the income tax filing deadlines back to July 15 for 2019 tax returns.
READ MORE: Federal Income Tax Deadline Pushed Back One Month
