How To File a Tax Extension

Filing a tax return is one of the many to-dos we tend to put on the back burner when life gives us front-burner stuff to deal with.

Unfortunately, you can’t set aside your taxes forever. But you can get a little more time from the IRS to gather documents and review your deductible expenses.

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What Is a Tax Extension?

Most Americans are required to file their federal tax returns by April 15 each year, or on the next business day if that date falls on a weekend or legal holiday. 

But a federal tax extension can give you additional time to file your tax return for the previous tax year. 

Extensions may be automatically granted at the discretion of the IRS for certain groups of qualifying taxpayers, including:

• Victims of federally declared disasters, like severe storms
• U.S. military members serving in a combat zone
• Civilians materially affected by war or terrorist attacks
• People living overseas

If you don’t fall into one of those categories but need additional time to prepare your return, you can request a six-month extension from the IRS.

It’s smart to request an extension if you’re still waiting to receive tax documents from your employer or unexpected events have prevented you from preparing to file by your regular tax-filing deadline.

How Does a Tax Extension Work?

Requesting an extension from the IRS generally gives you until October 15 to file your tax return without incurring late-filing penalties.

You don’t need to provide the IRS with an explanation when you make your request, and the request will likely only be rejected if you enter information incorrectly or if a request has already been processed for your Social Security number (SSN). 

While the extension to file your tax return is commonly referred to simply as a “tax extension,” this phrasing can be misleading. 

You can request an extension to file your tax return, but you’re generally expected to have paid your estimated taxes owed for the previous tax year by your regular filing date. 

You may owe taxes if you have income sources other than what you’re paid as an employee, such as:

• Freelance or side hustle income
• Interest from a high-yield savings account
• Income from dividends or capital gains

Extensions for actually paying your taxes are generally only granted in extenuating circumstances and, if you don’t pay your full tax liability by your regular filing date, you’ll likely be hit with a penalty ranging from 0.5% to 25% of your unpaid tax balance. 

The penalty percentage grows with the amount of time that elapses between the regular filing date and the date you pay.

READ MORE: How Do Taxes Work?

When to file an extension for taxes

You should submit your request for a filing extension by your regular filing date — April 15 for most. 

If you live overseas, you already have an automatic two-month extension for filing, and June 15 is also your deadline for requesting a filing extension until October 15.

If you don’t file your return by your extended filing date, you’ll have to pay a failure-to-file penalty of 5% of your taxes owed for each month or partial month that the return is late, up to 25% of your tax liability. 

Returns filed over 60 days late are subject to a penalty of 100% of the tax you owe, up to a maximum $485 penalty.

How To Request a Tax Extension

The act of requesting a filing extension is pretty easy — so easy that an estimated 19 million Americans did it in 2024. 

There are a few different ways to go about it: 

1. Make a payment with Direct Pay

Between January 1 and April 15, you can use IRS Direct Pay to pay your estimated taxes owed and simultaneously request an extension. 

Direct Pay is free, and payments you make with it are drawn directly from your bank account. 

To take advantage of this payment option, select “Extension” from the “Reason for Payment” dropdown menu in Step 1 of the Direct Pay process, and have the following details ready:

• Basic personal info matching the last tax return you filed, like your SSN and address
• Your estimated tax payment amount
• The routing and account numbers of either your checking or savings account

2. Use tax prep software

Many popular tax preparation companies facilitate electronic extension requests. 

For example, TurboTax offers Easy Extension, which allows you to file an extension request online for free and notifies you when it’s accepted by the IRS.

3. Mail Form 4868

You can send a hardcopy extension request by filling out Form 4868, printing it, and mailing it to the IRS. 

The IRS has locations throughout the U.S., and the address you’ll send it to depends on where you live and whether you’re including a payment with your extension request. 

You can find the relevant mailing address for you on the last page of the form.

It’s a good idea to buy a Certificate of Mailing (currently $2.20) from the U.S. Postal Service for proof that you sent the form before the deadline.

4. Offload it onto your tax preparer

If you work with a tax preparer, you can ask them to request an extension for you, and they’ll probably do it free of charge. 

If you’re a returning client, your tax preparer may even request the extension annually as a precautionary measure without informing you.

State Tax Extensions

Many states — including California, Illinois, and Ohio — either automatically grant their residents return extensions until October 15 for state income taxes or accept federal extension requests as valid for state extensions. 

But some states — like New York and Vermont — require you to fill out and submit special extension request forms. 

Check your state tax authority’s website to ensure you’re compliant and won’t end up paying any penalties for filing late.

Business Tax Extensions

A business tax return extension is similar to an individual extension in that it gives your business an extra six months to file its return — but it doesn’t extend its due date for taxes owed.  

Most businesses must submit Form 7004 to receive the extension. Due dates for the submission vary depending on how your business is organized.

FAQs

How much does a tax extension cost?

There’s no cost to request an extension for filing your tax return. However, you may be charged a 0.5% to 25% penalty on overdue taxes owed.

How many tax extensions can you file?

Most Americans are only allowed one six-month extension to submit their tax returns.

However, if you live overseas, you can request an additional two-month extension, giving you until December 15 to file your return. 

Unlike the regular six-month extension request, this request must be mailed to the IRS in a hardcopy letter with an explanation for why you’re requesting the extension.

TL;DR: Getting an Extension on Your Taxes

Remember: An extension gives you extra time to file, but not extra time to pay any taxes owed.

You can request an extension with your tax software, through IRS Direct Pay, by mailing Form 4868, or by asking your tax preparer. 

Just be sure to estimate and pay any taxes due by the original deadline to prevent additional penalties.

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