Tax Day — which falls annually on April 15 (this year, a Tuesday) — is usually the deadline for most people across the United States to file and pay both their federal and state taxes.
This year, taxpayers in North Carolina are automatically eligible to file and pay their taxes on Thursday, May 1 for both federal and state. But for many taxpayers living in the Tar Heel state, interest will begin to accrue on April 15.
“This was a combination of federal disaster relief for both Hurricane Helene and Tropical Storm Debby. Between the 2 federally declared disasters, taxpayers in all 100 N.C. counties automatically qualify for the May 1 deadline for filing and paying any federal taxes due,” a spokesperson for the Internal Revenue Service told The News & Observer earlier this month in an email.
A state tax filing and payment extension applies to all taxpayers who live in North Carolina as well: “The deadline for most calendar year taxpayers to file and pay income tax without incurring a penalty is May 1, 2025,” a recent release from the NC Department of Revenue says.
Those who live in non-disaster counties will be charged interest if they file and pay after Tax Day: Interest on an underpayment of tax for a non-disaster [county] will begin to accrue on 4/15/2025,” Dia Harris, public affairs director for the NC DOR, told The N&O via email.
Why is the tax filing deadline later?
All taxpaying North Carolina residents are considered victims of Hurricane Helene, the IRS spokesperson confirmed to The N&O.
Select residents who live in disaster counties (designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency) are also eligible for interest relief. Visit ncdor.gov to see which counties qualify.
This year, taxpayers in North Carolina are automatically eligible to file and pay their taxes on Thursday, May 1 for both federal and state. But for most taxpayers living in the Tar Heel state, interest will begin to accrue on April 15.
Who qualifies for the May 1 deadline?
According to the NC Department of Revenue, the following affected taxpayers have until May 1 to file and pay federal and state taxes:
- “Individuals who live in North Carolina.
- “Businesses (including tax-exempt organizations) whose principal place of business is in North Carolina.
- “Other individuals and businesses whose records necessary to meet a State tax deadline are located in North Carolina.
- “Relief workers who are assisting in North Carolina and are affiliated with a recognized government or philanthropic organization.
- “Any individual visiting North Carolina who was killed or injured as a result of the disaster.”
Select taxpayers impacted by Tropical Storm Debby had federal returns and payments postponed until Feb. 3 of this year, but these taxpayers also now have until May 1 to file and/or pay, the IRS says.
Residents of Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina are also eligible for the extended deadline.
Is it safe for unauthorized immigrants to pay taxes?
An agreement signed on Monday, April 8 will allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to submit names and addresses of unauthorized immigrants to the IRS for cross-verification against tax records, according to the Associated Press.
“This is a major and unprecedented action that risks the sensitive personal and location data of immigrant tax filers, which ICE could potentially use to target them for enforcement actions,” the Economic Policy Institute wrote in the days after the agreement was signed.
Unauthorized immigrants can and do pay taxes. Many use an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) issued by the IRS, Reuters Fact Check wrote earlier this year.
Undocumented immigrants paid almost $97 billion in federal, state and local taxes in 2022, according to a 2024 report by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. The report found that more than a third of these taxes paid go toward funding programs that these individuals cannot access, like Social Security, Medicare and unemployment insurance.
“As a result of ICE and IRS cooperation in this manner, persons who lack an immigration status may be much less likely to file their federal taxes out of fear of immigration enforcement, and those who have filed in the past are at risk for being targeted for detention and deportation for violating immigration laws,” the Economic Policy Institute wrote.
Residents of Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina are also eligible for the extended deadline. Canva
NC tax updates
More on filing and paying taxes in North Carolina this year:
This story was originally published April 14, 2025 at 10:54 AM.
