Wisconsin Department of Revenue Offers One-Month Extension for Withholding, Sales and Use Tax, and Excise Tax Filings…but NOT Payments

03.25.20

This afternoon, the Wisconsin Department of Revenue released a proposed guidance document to the Legislative Reference Bureau regarding the impact of COVID-19 on state tax filing deadlines. In addition to providing a comprehensive list of due dates for Wisconsin tax returns, this guidance also states that the Department intends to offer taxpayers a one month extension to file their withholding deposit reports, sales and use tax returns, and excise tax returns (motor, alcohol, or tobacco), so long as the extension is requested before the unextended due date of the return.

This relief differs from the income tax-related relief provided by the Department in two crucial ways:

• While the income tax-related extension on filing and payment is automatic, taxpayers wanting to take advantage of these extensions must contact WI DOR through My Tax Account or via e‑mail to request them. Requests submitted by e‑mail must include the taxpayer’s name, address, identification number, and the reporting period for which the extension is requested. 
• Unlike the income tax-related extensions, these extensions are solely extensions of time to file the required returns – they are NOT extensions of time to pay the tax due. If a taxpayer does not timely pay any withholding, sales and use, or excise tax due by the return due date, the Department will impose interest on the amount due at a rate of 1% per month (or 12% per year) during the one-month filing extension period.

To view the Wisconsin Department of Revenue’s proposed guidance document in full (including the list of updated filing due dates), please visit https://​www​.rev​enue​.wi​.gov/​P​a​g​e​s​/​T​a​x​P​r​o​/​2​0​2​0​/​T​a​x​D​e​a​d​l​i​n​e​s​E​x​t​e​n​d​e​d​C​O​V​I​D.pdf

• Taxation