PA Earned Income Tax Deadline: No Penalties Before May 17

CHESTER COUNTY, PA — If you're a tax procrastinator and were planning to file your local taxes tonight, you may breathe a sigh of relief. The local earned income tax filing deadline hasn't exactly been extended, but you won't be penalized if you filed by May 17, when federal and state taxes are due.

The PA Department of Revenue and the IRS announced that the income tax filing deadline for the final annual return (2020) is extended to May 17, 2021. The local earned income tax filing deadline is accordingly "extended" to match the State and Federal date of May 17, 2021.

That is, the collections service that serves more than 900 municipalities and school districts across Pennsylvania, Keystone Collections Group, announced today it will not apply late-filing penalty and interest on tax year 2020 final returns filed between April 15, 2021 through May 17, 2021.

Penalty and interest that already accrued prior to April 15, 2021 will remain due, Keystone stated.

This extension does not apply to any other tax payments. Employer filing deadlines for reporting payroll withholdings are not changed. Similarly, quarterly estimates for 1st quarter 2021 have not been extended.

To file local taxes and pay online, you may go to e-file.

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