Rep. Shane Hernandez – chair of the Michigan House Appropriations Committee – today said the state should move back its income tax filing deadline to July 15, mirroring a recent move by the federal government sparked by the coronavirus crisis.

Hernandez called on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to make the change, but said he is ready to pursue the modification through the Michigan Legislature if necessary.

“It’s extremely important that taxpayers have consistency and clarity about deadlines for filing income taxes,” said Hernandez, of Port Huron. “It does not make sense to have one deadline for federal returns and another for state returns. We can provide a measure of certainty in these uncertain times by establishing tax deadlines that match at the state and federal levels.”

Michigan’s current tax deadline is April 15, which was the same as the federal deadline until the recent announcement from President Trump’s administration moving the federal date back by three months.

Hernandez noted many taxpayers and tax preparers would face challenges meeting an April 15 deadline because of stay-at-home and social distancing mandates. The extension also would benefit Michiganders expecting to have a tax liability, as they would be able to hang onto their money for a longer time period.

“We can eliminate a lot of confusion by making this simple, common-sense change,” Hernandez said. “Let’s give taxpayers a three-month cushion if they have yet to file their taxes for the 2019 tax year.”