Department of Homeland Security employees will have until May 15 to file and pay their income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service, a move reserved for taxpayers who are facing crises.
The Treasury Department on Wednesday announced the one-month tax extension for DHS personnel affected by the shutdown at the department. The deadline for most taxpayers nationwide is April 15.
"The continued shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security has created unnecessary disruptions, placing an unfair burden on DHS personnel and their families," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.
"As they continue to show up under extraordinary circumstances without receiving a paycheck, Treasury and the IRS will provide affected DHS employees with a 30-day automatic extension for this tax filing season with penalty and interest relief," the secretary added.
Many DHS employees have gone without pay since the agency ran out of federal funding from Congress on Feb. 14, with many required to continue to report to work despite the shutdown.
Congress remains deadlocked on how to fund the department with the Senate and House at loggerheads on an approach. Trump last month tapped a separate pot of money so that Transportation Security Administration employees could start getting paid as airport lines hit record-waits with workers calling out sick or quitting altogether.
The IRS has the power to grant short-term tax filing extensions to taxpayers facing hardships. It delayed the tax deadline for most taxpayers during the 2020 pandemic and routinely extends the due date for residents of areas affected by floods or hurricanes.
