Trump Backpedals on Treasury Secretary’s Coronavirus Tax Extension Promise

It turns out Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin may have spoken too soon about the White House’s plans to delay this year’s tax deadline.

On Wednesday, Mnuchin told Congress the administration had plans to postpone the April 15th tax filing deadline, which it believed would result in a $200 billion boost to the country’s coronavirus-damaged economy. He told lawmakers the formal announcement would be made “soon.”

While Mnuchin’s comment on the timing proved to be correct, his assertion that the deadline would be delayed for all U.S. residents appears to be wrong. In his address to the nation Wednesday evening, Trump announced the filing extension — but said it would apply only to “certain individuals and businesses” that have been “negatively impacted” by the coronavirus. He didn’t say how those seeking extensions would qualify.

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