File a federal extension

Tips to help you file an extension. Filing an income tax extension If you can't complete your federal tax return by the deadline, find out how and when to file an IRS extension and push your deadline back to October 15th. Read more. How to file for an extension of state taxes While the IRS requires you to file Form for your federal extension, each state has its own requirements for obtaining a similar state tax extension. What to do after you've filed an income tax extension Now that you've filed an extension, you might wonder what you need to do between now and when your tax return is due.

Frequently asked questions. How do I file an IRS tax extension? Can I file a second tax extension? If taxes are owed, a delay in filing may result in penalty and interest charges that could increase your tax bill by 25 percent or more. There is no penalty for the late filing of a return on which a refund is given except for the delay of your refund. Since late filing penalties are higher than late payment penalties, you should file a return or extension even if you can't afford to pay your taxes on time.

In case you have unpaid taxes for this or a previous tax year, you might owe tax penalties and interest. Are there penalties if I expect a tax refund, but do not file on time? No, there is no tax penalty for failure to eFile a tax return or tax extension if you expect a federal or state tax refund. However, by waiting too long to eFile, you can lose your refund.

Find more information on tax penalties, late interest payment or IRS fees here. Can't pay the taxes you owe? Explore options to help you ease your tax burden now. The requirements for filing a state tax extension vary from state to state.

They mostly relate to tax extension filing deadlines, tax payment rules, or certain tax extension forms to fill out or not, in some states' cases. However, in general, most states follow the deadline to file a federal tax return extension.

Find out how to file a state tax extension for a particular state. Dare to compare eFile. Only eFile a tax extension if you don't have all the information you need to prepare a tax return. If you do not have the funds to pay taxes - but you have all documents ready to file a return - that is not a reason to e-File an extension. You can eFile an extension in this case as it would eliminate the missed filing deadline line penalty, but it will not eliminate the late tax payment penalty.

If you have everything you need - documents, forms - to file taxes, then preparing and e-filing a tax return by Tax Day, even if you can't pay all or some of your taxes, will save you time. Before you e-file a tax extension, consider these common misconceptions and truths about tax extensions:. A tax extension only postpones your time to file a return, not your time to pay your taxes!

In addition, you may face late filing penalties for each month your return is not filed. Even if you file an extension on time, you will still face IRS late payment penalties for not paying your taxes on time. A tax extension gives you an additional 6 months to file your tax return, making your new deadline October 15 October It is not an extension of time to pay your tax bill. It is easy to prepare and e-file your federal tax extension on eFile.

If you do not have enough tax information or all your tax records to start and e-file a tax return by Tax Day , you should e-file an IRS extension by that date. You can estimate your tax liability or tax refund with our free tax calculator.

Before you file, educate yourself about your tax situation and use these free tax calculator and educational tools to find out if someone qualifies as your dependent, if you can claim the Earned Income Credit or the Child Tax Credit , or if you can file as Head of Household!

After this deadline, if you have already prepared your return on eFile. Tax Tip: If you owe taxes, but you have missed the deadline to e-file an extension, you should eFile your Tax Return now to avoid further penalties, fees, and interest. You will still be able to prepare and e-file a Tax Return past the deadline. To make sure you file those on time, find out the tax filing due dates in your state.

If you owe money and do not file and pay your taxes on time, you will be charged interest and a late payment penalty. If you will be getting a refund, there is no penalty for filing a late return.

The IRS will begin accepting and processing federal tax returns on January 24, To get your tax return started, you'll first need to find out how much money you made in Then you'll need to decide whether to take the standard deduction or itemize your return.

Finally, you'll need to submit everything by April 19, , if you live in Maine or Massachusetts or April 18, , for the rest of the country. Other earning and interest statements and INT forms. Receipts for charitable donations and medical and business expenses if you are itemizing your return. Choose your filing status. Filing status is based on whether you're married. The percentage you pay toward household expenses also affects your filing status. Decide how you want to file your taxes.