Rep. Mike Carey sponsors bill to ease tax filing extension process

One of Ohio’s Congressional members who serves on the House Ways & Means Committee introduced a bill on May 22 to make it easier for individuals to calculate their tax liability when they file for an extension. 

Reps. Mike Carey (R-OH-15) and Judy Chu (D-CA-28) filed the Simplify Automatic Filing Extensions (SAFE) Act of 2023, H.R. 3566, to streamline the process for the millions of Americans who seek the six-month extension each year to file their federal tax return. 

The SAFE Act would allow taxpayers the ability to calculate and rely on a safe harbor of 125% of the prior year tax to be paid by the original due date to avoid penalties and give tax practitioners the needed flexibility to navigate an increasingly unmanageable busy tax season. 

The goal is to reduce burdens on practitioners and individuals preparing their own returns, minimize the processing of penalties by the IRS, and simplify the work surrounding the filing of federal tax extensions.  

“Filing for an extension does not have to be stressful, nor should it,” said Rep. Carey. “By simplifying the tax filing extension process and removing the fear of penalty, both taxpayers and the IRS will be better off. I’m proud to partner with Rep. Chu on this bipartisan legislation to make government work better for taxpayers.” 

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