When is the Mississippi State Tax Return Deadline in 2020?

Normally, Mississippi individual income tax returns are due April 15—but these are not normal times. In responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, the state has moved the deadline twice.

In March, the state moved the deadline to file and pay 2019 individual income tax to May 15, 2020. First quarter 2020 Mississippi estimated tax payments were also extended to May 15.

However, the due date was later extended to July 15, 2020. Both first quarter and second quarter estimated Mississippi tax payments were also pushed back to July 15. This matches the due date for federal income tax returns and estimated tax payments for the first half of the year.

Subscribe to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

Be a smarter, better informed investor.

Save up to 74%

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters

Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.

Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.

Sign up

Filing Extensions Beyond July 15

If you're unable to file your Mississippi tax return by July 15, and you expect to owe state tax, then you should file for an extension to October 15, 2020. The only way to file for a Mississippi extension is to file Form 80-106. Make sure you check the "Extension Payment" box and submitting the estimated amount of tax due.

If you don't expect to owe a tax, then you don't have to do anything. That includes sending a federal tax return extension form to the Mississippi Department of Revenue (they can't process the federal form).

Be warned, though, that an extension of time to file your return is not an extension of time to pay the tax due. Any tax due after July 15, 2020, is subject to a late payment penalty of 0.5% per month (not to exceed 25%) and interest of 0.5% per month. Plus, a Mississippi return that isn't filed by October 15 is subject to late filing penalty of 5% per month (not to exceed 25%).