2012 Income Tax Deadlines

With another year in the books and the first month of the New Year quickly coming to an end, we would like to share important dates:

January 2013: All employers, businesses, banks and other financial institutions begin preparing the numerous tax documents to be mailed out to us individuals.

January 30, 2013: The IRS starts accepting tax returns for processing.  There are a few types of tax returns that will have to wait till late February to mid-March, but the basic U.S. Individual Tax Return may begin to be filed.

January 31, 2013: The deadline for employers to mail out W-2 Forms to their employees, as well as the deadline for businesses to provide 1099 statements.  Other important information required to be mailed out is non-employee compensation, bank interest, dividends, and distributions from a retirement plan. (If you do not receive information on a retirement account or savings account, chances are the interest did not exceed $10.)

February 15, 2013: Deadline for employees who claim exemption from withholding to file a new Form W-4 with their employers. Also, the deadline for financial institutions to mail out Form 1099-B, relating to sales of stocks, bonds or mutual funds through a brokerage account and Form 1099-S, relating to real estate transactions.

March 1, 2013: Deadline for farmers and fisherman who have a balance due on their taxes to file their individual tax return and pay the balance due to avoid any late payment penalties.

March 15, 2013: Deadline for corporate tax returns (Forms 1120, 1120A and 1120S) or to request automatic 6-month extension of time to file (Form 7004). It is the final deadline to file an amended corporate tax return (Form 1120X) for tax year 2009 and still claim a tax refund.

April 15, 2013: The most important deadline – to file individual tax returns (Form 1040, 1040A, or 1040EZ) or to request an automatic extension (Form 4868) for the year 2012. An extension provides an extra six months to file your return.  Payment of the tax is still due by April 15^th.  You can submit payment for tax along with the extension form.  It is also the last day to make a contribution to traditional IRA, Roth IRA, Health Savings Account, SEP-IRA or your 401(k) for the 2012 tax year. If you do file an extension, you have till October 15^th to fund a SEP-IRA or solo 401(k).  Lastly it is the deadline for estates, trusts, or partnerships to file an amended tax return and still claim a tax refund for the year 2009.

Please don’t hesitate to contact any of us at Lighthouse Financial Advisors with any questions or concerns you may have.  We will be working with and for you to make sure everyone is completed on time.  As always we look forward to any comments and discussions you may have on any of our posts.