2020 tax year extension to file and pay (individual)

General

The IRS announced it extended the 2020 tax year federal tax filing due date for individuals only from April 15, 2021, to May 17, 2021. Did California also postpone the 2020 tax year due date for individual California taxpayers?

Yes, California postponed the income tax filing due date for individuals (those who file forms 540, 540 2EZ, and 540NR, including PIT composite returns) for the 2020 tax year from April 15, 2021, to May 17, 2021. Individual taxpayers who pay their 2020 taxes in full by May 17, 2021, was not subject to penalties and interest. This relief was available to all individual California taxpayers without filing a request or contacting FTB.

Were individual taxpayers subject to penalties and interest if they did not pay their 2020 taxes in full by the postponed due date of May 17, 2021?

Yes, any amount not paid by the postponed due date was subject to applicable penalties and interest as of May 17, 2021.

California postponed the 2020 tax year filing and payment deadline for individual taxpayers to May 17, 2021. Did California also postpone the time for an individual taxpayer to file a claim for refund to May 17, 2021, if that period expires on April 15, 2021?

Yes, if the statute of limitations to file a timely claim for refund normally expires on April 15, 2021, the FTB considered the claim timely if the individual taxpayer filed the claim on or before May 17, 2021. For purposes of claiming a refund within one year of an overpayment, the look-back period did consider payments made within one year of the actual expiration of the statute of limitations, but if that date expired on April 15, 2021, the FTB considered the claim for refund timely if the individual taxpayer filed the claim on or before May 17, 2021.

Was the due date for an SMLLC that is owned by an individual to file a Form 568 and report the fee and annual tax also postponed to May 17, 2021?

No. Although the individual's due date was postponed to May 17, 2021, an SMLLC that was owned by an individual still had the original due date of April 15, 2021, to file a Form 568 to report the fee and annual tax. Because of unique facts related to SMLLC filers, if an individual member received a notice of a late payment penalty associated with the SMLLC, the affected taxpayer should contact FTB and FTB will abate the penalty.

Estimated Payments

Was my 1st quarter estimate payment for the 2021 tax year still due on April 15, 2021?

Yes, similar to the IRS, the due date for an individual taxpayer's 1st quarter estimate tax payment for the 2021 tax year was not postponed and was still due on or before April 15, 2021.