The winter frost is starting to melt, the flowers are beginning to bloom again, and we’ve finally packed our down coats into storage. This glorious triad can only mean two things—spring is almost upon us!

Oh…and it’s also time to file our taxes. We don’t know about you, but we like the first thing much better than the second.

Yep, no one enjoys filing their taxes, especially if they owe cash to the government. In fact, it’s fair to say that we all pretty much dread the annual deadline for that very reason! At best, doing taxes gives us a headache, and at its worst, it leaves us feeling broke as a joke.

That said, there is a light at the tunnel with this year’s tax situation in the form of a later deadline. That’s practically music to your ears, right?!

You see, this year, April 15th, otherwise known as “rush to get to the post office before everyone else, because oh shucks my taxes are due day,” falls on a Sunday, which means that the IRS and state departments are not open to receive last-minute tax forms. Lucky for us, this means that the tax forms aren’t due until April 17th this year.

Pretty helpful, huh? The prospect of that two-day extension, no matter how short it may be, gives us that same feeling we got back in high school when a sudden snow day would pop up the very day a final essay was due. It might not solve all of your problems, but it feels really nice to have that extra time!

But, wait—there are MORE important tax deadlines to consider!

Of course, not everyone’s tax filing status is the same—if you are self-employed or a business owner, then you know exactly what we’re talking about!

Those who are required to file quarterly estimated taxes with the federal government have several dates to consider as we continue into 2018. If this is your category, you should have submitted your first quarterly payment on January 18th, the second is easy—it’s due on April 17th, and your third quarterly estimated payment must be submitted by September 17th.

Now, if you are an individual who simply cannot get your tax information in by the deadline, you can always file for an extension. Regardless of your reason, the IRS may grant you an extra 6 months to get your forms to them.

All you need to do is calculate your estimated taxes owed and send in a 4868 form by April 17th. Of course, you could eventually end up owing more or less depending on the accuracy of your calculations. Something to keep in mind if you are planning on spending that tax return before you get it!

Now that you know when to get your taxes in, it’s time for you to brew a pot of coffee and start totaling those receipts. May you get the fattest tax return you’ve seen yet!

We’d love to hear your thoughts on all things taxes. Did you know that you had two extra days to file your taxes this year? Are you going to wait until the last minute to file? Do you have any tips for getting the most cash back on a return?

Source: TurboTax