News

Tax Day pushed back to observe D.C. holiday

Karly Hanson

April 18, 2016

April 15 has been dreaded by Americans everywhere since it became the annual federal tax deadline. This year, however, the dreaded date is April 18, and for a good reason.

Washington, D.C. celebrates Emancipation Day every April 16, but since this year April 16 was a Saturday, D.C. observed the holiday April 15.

Tax Day is pushed back when April 15 falls on a weekend, like it did last year. Since Friday was a holiday in the District of Columbia, the whole nation got a three-day extension.

Emancipation Day commemorates the end of slavery in Washington, DC. President Abraham Lincoln signed the law passed by Congress, freeing around 3,100 slaves, April 16, 1862, eight months before the Emancipation Proclamation. The rest of the nation celebrates June 19, “Juneteenth,” which marks the end of slavery in Texas.

But D.C. closes all schools and offices for the holiday, unlike anywhere else.

Celebrate Tax Day by joining tax payers online who have taken to Twitter with the trending #TaxDaySchmovies, posting tax-related puns of movie titles. A few of the best ones are here: