Taxes are usually due on the same date each year, according to the IRS.
Recha Oktaviani via Unsplash
Tax season happens at the same time each year, but preparing early can help Mississippians avoid last-minute stress and the potential of missed deadlines.
Here’s what you should know about deadlines ahead of tax season.
When is the last day to file taxes in Mississippi?
The deadline to file and pay your 2025 federal and state taxes is Wednesday, April 15, 2026, according to the Internal Revenue Service and the State of Mississippi Department of Revenue
If filing via mail, your tax return will only be considered “on time” if the envelope has the correct address and is postmarked and dropped in the mail by the due date, according to the IRS.
Occasionally, the IRS will grant an extension after a federally declared disaster.
In 2025, the IRS announced tax relief for individuals and businesses in certain Mississippi counties after FEMA declared a disaster due to severe storms, wind, tornadoes and flooding that happened in March, according to a June 11 news release.
Residents and business owners in Calhoun, Carroll, Covington, Davis, Grenada, Humphreys, Issaquena, Itawamba, Jefferson Davis, Lee, Leflore, Marion, Montgomery, Pike, Prentiss, Sharkey, Smith, Walthall and Washington counties received the new deadline of Nov. 3, 2025 to file their returns and pay taxes, the IRS said.
When does a tax extension need to be filed?
Sometimes people will file for a tax extension if they need more time to get their documents organized, have an unanticipated event or for certain tax planning purposes, according to TurboTax.
To request a six-month tax extension, you must file Form 4868 by the original date of your return, according to the IRS.
The extension of time is not an extension of time to pay, the IRS notes.
What happens if you don’t file taxes?
You certainly don’t want to be someone who doesn’t file their tax return by the due date, as the IRS will apply a failure to file penalty, according to the agency’s website.
For individuals and most businesses, the penalty is 5% of the taxes due for each month or partial month the return is late up to a maximum of 25%, the IRS said.
If your return is past due by more than 60 days, the minimum penalty is $525 or 100% of the underpayment, whichever is less, according to the agency. The IRS also charges interest on penalties.
If you never file your taxes, the IRS may file a substitute return to you which will lead to a tax bill that triggers the collection process if unpaid.
Additional enforcement actions, like criminal prosecution could come next if you repeatedly don’t file, according to the IRS.
Natalie Demaree
mcclatchy-newsroom
Natalie Demaree is a service journalism reporter covering Mississippi for McClatchy Media. She holds a master’s in journalism from Columbia Journalism School and a bachelor’s in journalism and political science with a specialization in African and African American Studies from the University of Arkansas.
