At the direction of Governor Terry Branstad, the Iowa Department of Revenue (IDR) has determined it will grant an extension to certain taxpayers to file and pay 2015 Iowa individual income tax returns without underpayment of estimated tax penalty. Taxpayers who earn at least 2/3 of their income from farming or commercial fishing will have until April 30 to file and pay their 2015 returns.

Iowa Code section 422.21 allows the Director of Revenue to allow further time for filing returns if good cause exists. Late in 2015 the federal government enacted legislation impacting certain tax benefits known as federal “extenders.” Current Iowa law does not conform to these federal provisions and many taxpayers have waited to file their 2015 returns to see if the Iowa Legislature would “couple” with these provisions. To date, the Legislature has not yet reached a decision on how to address coupling.

The mission of the Iowa Department of Revenue is to serve Iowans and to support government services in Iowa by collecting all taxes required by law, but no more.