In a surprising move, Revenue have announced today that they have extended next week’s ROS online Pay & File Tax Deadline by 24 hours. The original deadline of Tuesday 15 November is now extended until midnight on Wednesday 16 November.
This new deadline covers the following
- online filing of Form 11 Income Tax Returns on ROS
- online payment of 2010 Income Tax liability
- payment of Preliminary Tax for 2011.
Today’s Revenue statement does not mention any extension to the deadline for making Pension/AVC contributions which qualify on a back-dated basis for tax relief for 2010. If you are considering making such a contribution in the coming days in order to obtain 2010 tax relief, I suggest that you do so by the original deadline of next Monday – at least until and unless Revenue confirm in the meantime that the pension relief deadline is also extended.
I have no idea why Revenue have at this late stage opted to extend the deadline by a day. Perhaps it is compensation of sorts for last week’s 31 October deadline for paper-filed tax returns, which fell on Bank Holiday Monday when Revenue offices were closed and many accounting and tax firms found themselves having to open on the Bank Holiday.
Either way, the deadline extension is very welcome, although it would have been simpler and easier for everyone concerned had this change been made months ago. Spare a thought for your accountant or tax advisor if they have already made holiday or ‘quality time’ plans for Wednesday 16 November!
The ROS Technical Helpdesk will now be open until midnight on 16 November 2011.
Thomas McGibney & Company 