Because of a holiday observed in Washington, D.C., since 2005, this year's deadline to file your federal tax returns came three days later than the normal April 15.
Emancipation Day, which marks the date in 1862 when President Abraham Lincoln signed a law ending slavery in the District of Columbia, technically was on April 16. But because that was a Saturday this year, the nation's capital observed it the day before, April 15. That pushed back the nationwide deadline to file until today, at midnight.
That provided some extra time for last-minute filers to get their W-2s, receipts and untold other documentation together and either take it to a tax preparation service or accountant, or attempt to do it themselves.
We wish filers - and their pocketbooks - a lot of luck.
The tax code is so massive and complicated that trying to complete the forms by yourself, without running afoul of the law, can be a risky proposition. And there is no guarantee of a correct answer even if you call the Internal Revenue Service for help.
In consequence, businesses and families spend countless billions of dollars per year on tax preparation software, accountants and such, all in hopes of paying no more taxes than they have to, while also avoiding an audit.
So, do you expect to make today's deadline? Looking at what you paid, do you consider your taxes too high, too low or about right?
And wherever you stand on that issue, wouldn't it make sense to simplify our absurdly complex tax code?