Last Updated: April 13, 2020
This posting is made to update the payment due date for the 2nd Quarter 2020 estimated federal tax payment due to the IRS. This payment was originally due on June 15, 2020, but the IRS announced on April 9, 2020 that the due date for this payment has also been extended to July 15, 2020. The remainder of the information below from our March 24, 2020 update remains unchanged.
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We have established this post to keep our clients informed of important tax filing and payment deadlines, as well as the latest details on our office policies and operations. The latest revision date is at the top of the page so you can quickly determine if there have been any changes or developments since your last visit. As always, you are welcome to call or email us any time with questions, concerns, or to request status updates.
Our offices will be closed to the public until further notice pursuant to the Executive Order of the Governor of the State of California. However, we are working remotely and will continue to assist you with all matters during this time. If you have any documents you need to share with us, you may drop them off at our office through the mail slot, mail them to us, or deliver electronically through a secure client portal. The main office gates should be open weekdays during the hours of 10am to 4pm. Once inside you will find a mail slot in our office front door you can push your packet of materials through. If you mail documents to us, please do NOT send them ‘signature required’ as we may not be available in the office to sign. In the alternative, if you have a secure client portal you can load your documents in electronically. If you don’t have a portal but wish to use one please contact us and we can set it up for you quickly and easily.
For Tax Matters:
The Internal Revenue Service and the State of California have officially announced that the 2019 income tax filing and payment deadlines for all taxpayers who normally file and pay on April 15, 2020, are automatically extended until July 15, 2020. No extension or formal request needs to be made to qualify for this extended July due date. If you need an extension until October 15, 2020 to file your return, you must contact our office to have us file a formal Request for Extension. This additional extension to October 15, 2020 is only an extension of time to file; no further extension of time to pay is available past July 15, 2020.
1st and 2nd Quarter 2020 estimated federal tax payments due to the IRS are extended to July 15, 2020.
(Previously the IRS listed the Q2 2020 estimated payment as still being due June 15, 2020, but announced on April 9, 2020 that this payment due date is also extended to July 15, 2020).
1st and 2nd Quarter 2020 estimated tax payments due to California are extended to July 15, 2020.
If you have tax returns, payments, or estimates due to any state other than California please contact our office directly to discuss your particular circumstance.
We will continue to process returns that have already been received in our office, or that come into our office in the coming months, on a first-in, first-out basis. It is our goal to complete and file most clients’ returns well in advance of the July 15th deadline. Even if your return is completed and filed before July 15th, you still have until the extended payment due dates as indicated above to make your payments.
Once we have reviewed your materials, we will contact you if we have any questions or if Linda believes a phone consult is needed for your matter. Once your returns are completed, we will contact you to arrange pickup or advise you that we have mailed the completed returns to you. Our policy on in-person pickup of returns is subject to change if the County health officer issues stricter mandates, or at our discretion to ensure the safety of our staff, clients, and community.
We strongly urge all eligible clients to file their returns electronically this year. Paper filing will rely on the US Mail operating and someone at the taxing authority office to receive and manually enter your tax return information. In addition, in a year when the filing and payment due dates are all over the board, and still subject to change on short notice, it will be to your advantage to have record of an efile transmission date and time stamp.
Once we complete your tax returns you will be provided with efile authorization forms to sign. Do not forget to return these signed efile authorization forms to our office. You may mail them to us or drop them through the mail slot in the front door. We cannot release your returns to the taxing authorities without first receiving this approval.
If your data is not yet in our office, please have it to us no later than Friday, June 5th in order to ensure an on-time filing by July 15, 2020.
For Estate Planning Matters:
Even though we are closed for in-office meetings, the attorney is available for telephone or video consultations at any time. We are still processing all continuing and new estate planning matters and can share draft documents with you through a secure client portal or through the mail once your documents are ready. In emergency situations we may be able to locate a traveling notary who will come to you for execution and notarization of your documents. For all other cases, execution and notarization of the documents should wait until after the shelter in place order has been lifted.