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Series:
The ProPublica Free Tax Guide
Free, Fact-Checked Tax Information. That's All.
The IRS is struggling under a mountain of paperwork and grappling with outdated technology, and in the past year it has been tasked with distributing stimulus checks three separate times.
<h3>
When are taxes due?
</h3><p><strong>2020 federal income tax returns for individuals are now due on May 17, 2021.</strong> The IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-day-for-individuals-extended-to-may-17-treasury-irs-extend-filing-and-payment-deadline">announced</a> in March that its tax deadline would be pushed back from the usual date, April 15. “Even with the new deadline, we urge taxpayers to consider filing as soon as possible, especially those who are owed refunds. Filing electronically with direct deposit is the quickest way to get refunds," IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said in the statement.</p><p>The deadline for paying federal income tax for individuals has also moved to May 17, 2021.</p><h3>
Am I eligible for the new tax deadline?
</h3><p>This new deadline applies to individual taxpayers, including individuals who pay self-employment tax.</p><h3>
Do I need to file for a tax extension to be eligible for the new deadline?
</h3><p>No. Taxpayers are automatically eligible for the new deadline.</p><h3>
Does the new deadline apply to all taxes?
</h3><p>No. This applies to all <em>individual</em> tax filers, and it does not include trusts, estates, corporations and other noncorporate tax filers. Quarterly estimated taxes for individuals are still due April 15, 2021, too.</p><p><strong>There's a good chance the new deadline applies to your state taxes.</strong> As of April 2021, most states have either followed the IRS' lead and delayed their tax deadlines until May 17, or have extended their deadline further. But each state is different. <a href="https://taxfoundation.org/state-tax-coronavirus-covid19/">Here is an updated list of how each state has approached its 2021 tax deadlines in response to the coronavirus</a>.</p><h3>
Can I still file for an extension?
</h3><p>Yes. Individual taxpayers can still ask for an extension to October 15, 2021, by filing <a href="https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-4868">Form 4868</a>.</p><h3>
Will my tax refund be delayed?
</h3><p>No. The IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/refunds/tax-season-refund-frequently-asked-questions">says</a> that most <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/where-is-my-tax-refund-1">tax refunds</a> are still being paid within 21 days of filing. The IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-day-for-individuals-extended-to-may-17-treasury-irs-extend-filing-and-payment-deadline">encourages</a> taxpayers to file electronically with direct deposit as it's the quickest way to receive your refund. While the IRS continues to accept paper forms, it has a severe <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/the-irs-cashed-her-check-then-the-late-notices-started-coming">paperwork backlog</a> and strongly urges e-filing. Here's <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/where-is-my-tax-refund-1">how to track your tax refund</a>.</p><h3>
If I already filed and set up automatic payments, will those automatically be delayed until May 17?
</h3><p>No. If you used <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/direct-pay">IRS Direct Pay</a> or its <a href="https://www.eftps.gov/eftps/">Electronic Federal Tax Payment System</a> and set it up to take your tax payment out of your account on April 15, it will still do that. You can change the date there manually, so long as you do so two days before the scheduled payment. If you authorized an <a href="https://www.irs.gov/payments/pay-taxes-by-electronic-funds-withdrawal">electronic funds request</a>, you can contact the U.S. Treasury's financial agent two days before the scheduled withdrawal date at 888-353-4537 to reschedule.</p><h3>
Do I have to pay to have my taxes prepared with the new deadline?
</h3><p>No.</p><p><a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/how-to-file-your-state-and-federal-taxes-for-free-in-2021">And if you made less than $72,000 in 2020, there is almost certainly free and easy software you can use to file your taxes</a>. Even if you made more than that, you might still be able to file for free using tax prep software.</p><p><strong>For reference, <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/how-to-file-your-state-and-federal-taxes-for-free-in-2021">here is how to file your state and federal taxes for free in 2021</a>.</strong></p><p><strong>About this guide:</strong> ProPublica has reported extensively about <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/you-cant-tax-the-rich-without-the-irs-internal-revenue-service">taxes</a>, the IRS Free File program and the <a href="https://www.propublica.org/series/gutting-the-irs">IRS</a>. Specifically, we've covered the ways in which the for-profit tax preparation industry — companies like <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-tax-law-threatened-turbotax-profits-started-charging-disabled-unemployed-and-students">Intuit (TurboTax)</a>, H&R Block and Tax Slayer — has <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/how-the-maker-of-turbotax-fought-free-simple-tax-filing">lobbied</a> for the <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/senior-irs-leaders-launch-review-of-partnership-with-turbotax-and-h-r-block">Free File program</a>, then <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/the-irs-tried-to-hide-emails-that-show-tax-industry-influence-over-free-file-program">systematically</a><a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-tax-law-threatened-turbotax-profits-started-charging-disabled-unemployed-and-students">undermined</a> it with <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/turbotax-deliberately-hides-its-free-file-page-from-search-engines">evasive search tactics</a> and <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/turbotax-just-tricked-you-into-paying-to-file-your-taxes">confusing design</a>. These companies also work to fill search engine results with tax “<a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/intuit-ceo-in-internal-video-hiding-free-turbotax-was-in-best-interest-of-taxpayers">guides</a>" that sometimes route <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/here-are-your-stories-of-being-tricked-into-paying-by-turbotax-you-often-need-the-money">users to paid products</a>. ProPublica's guide is not personalized tax advice, and you should speak to a tax professional about your specific tax situation.</p></div><script async="" src="http://pixel.propublica.org/pixel.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
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Florida GOP congressman and Trump loyalist Matt Gaetz may or may not have committed a crime connected with what we've learned from media reports: That he's being investigated by the Justice Department for sex-trafficking, which also might involve a 17-year-old girl, and, according to the the Daily Beast late last week, that he paid money to an accused sex trafficker, who then venmo'd money to a teen.
This article was originally published at The Signorile Report
<p><a href="https://signorile.substack.com/people/557771-michelangelo-signorile" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"></a>But it does appear as if he's anticipated, perhaps for years, that he one day might be the target of sexual allegations. With even Donald Trump now reportedly refusing a meeting with Gaetz, every day seems to bring new evidence of that.</p><p><br/></p>
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="99cc758680dee76f62d434c4b8e91d14" id="1653f"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1381409120817909768"><div style="margin:1em 0">Matt Gaetz is denied a meeting with Donald Trump - CNNPolitics https://t.co/3JRykTHN64</div> — Daniel Uhlfelder (@Daniel Uhlfelder)<a href="https://twitter.com/DWUhlfelderLaw/statuses/1381409120817909768">1618188574.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p><br/></p><p>Former House member Katie Hill last week said <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/katie-hill-matt-gaetz-defended-her-to-possibly-cover-up-for-himself-2021-4" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">she now questions Gaetz's motives</a> in defending her back in 2019, <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/reflecting-2019-photo-scandal-rep-katie-hill-fully/story?id=69105515" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">when she resigned</a> from Congress amid a media-driven sex scandal.</p><p>Private nude photos from the past of the openly bisexual California Democrat with her then-husband — from whom she'd become estranged by 2019 — and another woman were published without her permission in a British tabloid while reports surfaced about Hill's involvement in a then recent inappropriate relationship with a female staffer.</p><p>"Who among us would look perfect if every ex leaked every photo/text?" Gaetz tweeted in response at the time.</p><p><br/></p>
<p>So, a right-wing Republican was defending a progressive Democrat targeted by people trying to hurt her career via sexual allegations? And this was Matt Gaetz, the original MAGA attack dog.</p><p>It smelled back then, and it stinks to high heaven now.</p><p>Gaetz conveniently is using that defense of Hill in his own current defense. He vehemently denied the sex-trafficking allegations and illegal interactions with a minor <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/op-eds/rep-matt-gaetz-oped-the-swamp-is-out-to-drown-me-with-false-charges-but-im-not-giving-up" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">in an op-ed</a>, claiming the "swamp" is trying to take him down:</p><blockquote>I defended Rep. Katie Hill's "throuple" when her own Democratic colleagues wouldn't. I just didn't think it was anyone's business.<br/></blockquote><p>Of course, that defense is absurd, and insulting to Hill — comparing apples to oranges — but it is curious. And the curiosities don't end there. Gaetz, who, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/01/politics/matt-gaetz-photos-women/index.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">according to a recent CNN report</a>, shared sexually explicit photos and videos of women (with whom he had allegedly had sex) with colleagues on the House floor — among several issues the <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/04/09/985851957/house-ethics-committee-investigating-florida-gop-rep-matt-gaetz" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">House Ethics Committee is now investigating</a> — killed a revenge porn bill when he was in the Florida House of the Representatives in 2014.</p><p>That is, he killed a bill that makes it a crime to share sexually explicit photos of others without their consent. The bill had passed the State Senate, but, <a href="https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-ne-matt-gaetz-revenge-porn-20210405-5qbme6ilzna3rhry6gzqeevwpq-story.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">according to the Orlando Sentinel</a>, a House committee chaired by Gaetz wouldn't take it up. When the bill did get a vote in both chambers a year later, only Gaetz and his roommate, Republican state Rep. John Tobia, voted against it.</p><p><a href="https://signorile.substack.com/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Share The Signorile Report</a></p><p>The former lawmaker who sponsored the bill, Republican Tom Goodson, <a href="https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-ne-matt-gaetz-revenge-porn-20210405-5qbme6ilzna3rhry6gzqeevwpq-story.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">told the Sentinel last week </a>that he'd met with Gaetz at the time, who explained why he was voting no:</p><blockquote>Matt was absolutely against it. He thought the picture was his to do with what he wanted…He thought that any picture was his to use as he wanted to, as an expression of his rights.<br/></blockquote><p>Since Gaetz reportedly shared photos on the U.S. House floor of his sex partners, it's not out of the realm of possibility that he's been doing that for years, even before he was in the Florida Legislature.</p><p>It might seem stupid to block or vote against a revenge porn bill — especially since it will pass overwhelmingly anyway, and your vote will stand out — but it might insulate you from being exposed for hypocrisy if a reporter found out you did in fact share photos without consent. (Or at least, a guilty legislator might think that was a good strategy.)</p><p>And that brings us to Gaetz being <a href="https://www.pnj.com/story/news/politics/2017/12/29/matt-gaetz-defends-lone-no-vote-anti-human-trafficking-bill/990407001/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the only U.S. House member to vote against a human-trafficking bill in 201</a>7. Why would you bring that kind of attention to yourself? Did Gaetz again possibly calculate that it was better to vote against the bill and have a high-minded reason in case any other information one day was alleged? At the time, he said he voted against the bill because it was an example of "mission creep," and an "expansion of the federal government," and that he wasn't sent to Congress "to create more federal government."</p><p>Those statements reflect the Trumpian suspicion of the federal government that fuels the paranoia of anti-government groups — like those that attacked the Capitol on January 6th — and conspiracies about a dangerous "deep state" cabal in the federal government trying to take down conservatives and, in particular, Trumpists like Gaetz. Is it any wonder then that Gaetz over the weekend <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/matt-gaetz-sex-trafficking-twitter-deep-state_n_60723266c5b6c795e1546849" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">suggested</a> that he is a victim — a "wanted man" — of the "deep state" that may be trying to destroy him?</p><p>It's as if the very skepticism he expressed about the human-trafficking bill in 2017 — the supposed danger of big government — now fits neatly with his defense in 2021. And that will help him keep his paranoid, anti-government Trumpian following loyal to him and refusing to believe contrary evidence, even if more damning facts are revealed in coming days and weeks.</p>
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Facebook didn't stop 10 billion impressions from 'repeat misinformers' during 2020 election cycle: report
April 13, 2021
Facebook does not need any more bad publicity. The company is currently being publicly scorned after more than 500 million users had their personal information leaked. It has also been faced with an antitrust suit endorsed by more than 40 states since last year, with reports alleging that CEO Mark Zuckerberg would intimidate potential competitors.
Now the big blue social media titan has some more bad press — namely, a new report which claims that it failed miserably in its promise to stop misinformation during the 2020 presidential election. Indeed, the report accuses Facebook of being so lax that the top 100 "repeat misinformers" on the site received millions more interactions than the combined total netted by the top 100 traditional U.S. media pages.
<p>Released by the online advocacy group Avaaz, the report argues that if Facebook had not waited until October (roughly one month before Election Day) before altering its algorithm to reduce the visibility of inaccurate and hateful content, it could have stopped roughly 10.1 billion views from accumulating on 100 pages that frequently disseminated misinformation in the eight months prior to the 2020 election. You read that right: 10.1 billion impressions of misinformation.</p><p>"Failure to downgrade the reach of these pages and to limit their ability to advertise in the year before the election meant Facebook allowed them to almost triple their monthly interactions, from 97 million interactions in October 2019 to 277.9 million interactions in October 2020 — catching up with the top 100 US media pages 2 (ex. CNN, MSNBC, Fox News) on Facebook," Avaaz reported.</p><p>The report noted that an October 2020 poll found that 44% of registered voters (or roughly 91 million people) saw false claims about mail-in voter fraud on Facebook, with 35% of registered voters (or roughly 72 million people) believing them.</p><p>The organization also noted that Facebook has rolled back many of the changes it made before the election, which is allowing right-wing conspiracy theories like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvQO4YqT2Oc&t=2007s" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">QAnon and Stop the Steal</a> to thrive on the site. Avaaz says that they have identified 267 pages and groups, as well as many "Stop the Steal" groups, that have a combined 32 million followers and which spread "violence-glorifying content" based around the 2020 presidential election. More than two-thirds of these groups are in some way connected to QAnon, Boogaloo, militia-aligned or other violent far right groups. Despite violating Facebook's policies, Avaaz says that 118 of those pages and groups are still active.</p><p>Facebook denied the report's conclusions. As Facebook spokesperson Andy Stone told <a href="https://time.com/5949210/facebook-misinformation-2020-election-report/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Time Magazine</a>, "This report distorts the serious work we've been doing to fight violent extremism and misinformation on our platform. Avaaz uses a flawed methodology to make people think that just because a Page shares a piece of fact-checked content, all the content on that Page is problematic."</p>
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