20 Things You Somehow Missed In The Shawshank Redemption

When writing a movie set decades before the current age, writers are encouraged to write first and fact-check later. For this reason, many historical inaccuracies manage to slip through the cracks of films set in the past. The Shawshank Redemption, which stretches from the 1940s to the 1960s, has plenty of examples.

One of the most notable — and one that viewers were likely to miss — occurs when the characters speak in reference to the dreaded Tax Day on 15 April. There’s the problem, though: Back in the 1940s, federal income taxes were due on 15 March.

Also, when speaking about the IRS, it’s important to note that these characters in this time period would actually be referring to the Bureau of Internal Revenue. It didn’t become the IRS until the 1950s.