The deadline to file federal taxes this year is Tuesday, April 18, and procrastinators have Abraham Lincoln to thank for the extra time, explains MarketWatch. Tax Day is normally April 15, but not so this year because it fell on a weekend. Typically, that would mean it gets pushed to the following Monday, but because Washington, DC, observes Emancipation Day on Monday—the day Lincoln freed the slaves in the capital, which is actually April 16, but that, too, fell on a weekend—Tuesday it is. A look at coverage:
- Consider this stat: 57% of Americans think they pay too much in federal income taxes, but 45% of Americans actually pay no federal income taxes at all. How to explain the anomaly? Americans are seriously ignorant about taxes, writes Tulane prof Marjorie Kornhauser in the Washington Post. Progressive vs. flat? Marginal rates vs. effective rates? She's got some suggestions to remedy this, including teaching tax literacy in schools.