Tax Day: Deadline arrives for filing taxes, but some Californians have an extension

The deadline to file 2022 income tax returns is Tuesday - but not for everyone in California.

For most of the country, April 18 is the filing deadline. However, filing and payment deadlines have been automatically extended to Oct. 16 if you have an address in a federally declared disaster area.

That includes Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties after recent winter storms and subsequent weather damage. If you live in a different county, but have a business located in one of those covered counties, you also qualify for the extension.

"If you have your documents together anyway, you should maybe file. Last tax season, about 75% of taxpayers received a refund, and the average refund was over $3,000," said Lisa Greene Lewis, CPA and tax expert with TurboTax. "That's a lot of money, and you could just have that money and also not worry about it."

If you're in an affected county, you also qualify for an extension to file a state tax return and pay taxes owed until Oct. 16.

The IRS will automatically identify taxpayers located in the covered disaster areas. To view a full list of affected counties, visit the IRS website.

If you don't qualify for an extension, you can request one, or file no later than Tuesday at 11:59 p.m.

If you've filed already and are getting a refund, the IRS says you should get the money in 21 days or less. The IRS also says there is no backlog for returns.