The federal income tax filing deadline of April 15 is less than a month away. However, according to one report, the 2021 tax return deadline may be postponed by one month.

Bloomberg reports that the Internal Revenue Service plans to push back the tax return deadline to either May 15 or May 17 (May 15 would be a month late, but this year it is a Saturday, and the Internal Revenue Service usually sets its filing deadlines on weekdays).

The IRS is still finalizing what the actual filing deadline will be, and it is not yet official; Bloomberg cites three sources familiar with discussions taking place within the IRS.

The reason for the delay may be obvious.

The reason for the delay may be obvious: the ongoing coronavirus pandemic is adding a new wrinkle to many tax returns.

Consider the stimulus package enacted earlier this month. The bill includes a tax exemption of up to $10,200 for unemployment benefits, which will affect the tax returns of those who lost their jobs due to the economic devastation caused by the coronavirus pandemic. In addition, Bloomberg notes that the 1040 tax return is where filers can claim stimulus payments that were not paid during the past year, with $2,000 and $600 paid in 2019, prior to the more recent $1,400 payment.

Even if the IRS postpones the deadline, they still need to find the best tax software to prepare their returns; a review of software such as H&R Block Deluxe 2021 and TurboTax 2020 shows how these software packages handle tax law changes resulting from COVID handled by the software are considered.

However, it seems likely that the IRS will make an official announcement soon. Delaying this year's filing deadline is supported by key Democrats and Republicans on the congressional committee that oversees the tax code; the move would not be unprecedented, as the filing deadline was also delayed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak.