ALBANY, NY (WSKG) – Wednesday, July 15, is the new April 15 for income tax filing, after the IRS postponed the deadline by three months due to the coronavirus pandemic. WRVO’s Capitol Correspondent Karen DeWitt spoke to the state’s tax commissioner, Michael Schmidt, about how the delay has affected taxpayers, and the state’s finances.
Schmidt said the bulk of New Yorkers, over 9 million, have already filed their taxes, but around 1.3 million have not and are expected to do so by Wednesday. He said the department’s workers, some doing so remotely, have been busy processing forms and in some cases, issuing refunds. And he said there is help available through the agency’s hotline, at 518-457- 5181.
“Wait times right now for personal income taxes are less than one minute,” Schmidt said.
Schmidt said those making $69,000 a year or less can use what’s known as the free file option. The tax department connects the taxpayer with a software system that they can use to file, free of charge, avoiding payments to tax filing programs or a tax preparer.