Coronavirus In Minnesota: Answering Your Questions About Bills, Responsibilities, And Deadlines That Don't Stop
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- As Minnesotans continue to social distance, everyone is experiencing basic disruptions to their lives. So many WCCO viewers have sent in Good Questions about the bills, responsibilities and deadlines that don't stop.
Now that the IRS is giving taxpayers an extra 90 days to pay taxes, will the state do the same?
As of right now, no. While both state and federal taxes should still be filed by April 15th, Minnesota hasn't changed the April 15th deadline to pay.
Last Friday, Governor Tim Walz did include a proposal to extend the deadline, but the legislature hasn't acted upon it yet. Leaders say they are working on a number of COVID-19 bills, but don't have anything to announce yet.
That said, the Minnesota Department of Revenue is telling people who think they might have a problem filing or paying due to COVID-19 to give them a call. They can talk through options like late filings or cancelling penalties. You can find more information on the taxes here.
What happens if my driver's license is about to expire?
According to the Department of Public Safety, DVS offices are open and social distancing, so people can renew their licenses there. But, there are several offices -- like Deputy registrar and independently owned driver's license offices -- that are closed. Here is a link to all of the office locations. To find the open offices, you have to cross-reference this list of closed offices.
At this point, the state isn't making any changes on what happens if someone have an expired license, but say they will keep reviewing this issue.
Will the October 1st REAL ID deadline be extended?
At this point, no. It is a federal deadline set in place by the Department of Homeland Security. The National Governor's Association has requested an extension, but the Department of Homeland Security hasn't made any changes yet.
What if you can't make your mortgage payment?
On Wednesday, the Housing Policy Council, the trade association for the mortgage industry announced they were working to come up with a temporary deferral plan for people whose income is affected by COVID-19.
They say they want to put that plan in action quickly but are still working with government to figure out the details.
