IRS Tax Extension Form 4868

Prepare and e-file a return even if you can't pay your taxes by April 15. e-File your extension if you are still missing documents needed to file your 2023 Tax Return. Keep in mind, a tax extension ONLY postpones the tax deadline to October and NOT the deadline to pay taxes due. You are not required to pay taxes when you e-file your return or extension. You can pay taxes after you filed online. Late filing penalties are generally much higher than late payment penalties.

• Tip: If you filed an extension by April, then e-file your return by October 15 even if you can't pay your taxes on that date. You are not required to pay taxes when you e-file your return. This will keep your tax penalties at a minimum as the late filing penalty generally is larger than the late tax payment penalty. Estimate penalties if you DO NOT file by April 15 . Start and eFile IT now: IT is your Income Taxes!

Watch this Tax Deadline video

File a 2024 Extension for Your 2023 Return Online

File your extension from mid-March through Tax Day!

To e-file Form 4868, the IRS federal tax extension form for individuals, just select the extension button above and eFileIT for free. For more details, follow these points:

• See simple instructions on how to eFile an IRS Tax Extension for free and/or pay IRS taxes. File your return or extension by April 15 or Tax Day.
• When you pay estimated IRS taxes with your extension, if you overpay, you will receive a refund when you file your return.
• View details and instructions for state tax extensions. Some states give automatic tax extensions based on the IRS extension. For other states, paying your taxes owed serves as a state tax extension. Thus, you would not have to file an extension form in that case; simply pay some or all your state taxes.
• Follow these instructions on how to e-file a tax return after you have filed a tax extension.

Learn below if you should even file an extension or not; if you are owed a tax refund, then according to the IRS, a tax extension is not necessary. You can e-file Form 4868 or Form 2350 for free on eFile.com. After you have e-filed an IRS accepted tax extension, you can complete your 2023 Tax Return by October 15, 2024; all your tax extension information will be in your eFile.com account when you e-file.

Businesses can file or e-file Form 7004 for a 6-month extension to file business and information returns—search for free tax forms here.

Tax Extension 2023 in 2024

If you owe taxes as a result of your tax return calculation, then prepare and e-file your 2023 Tax Return or 2023 Tax Extension no later than April 15, 2024; see state tax extensions.

• IRS Tax Payment Options, Plans: We suggest you pay all your federal taxes (or as much or as little as you can afford) directly at the IRS site via this link (either before or after you have e-Filed the free tax extension): pay federal taxes directly to the IRS.
• Direct State Tax Payment; File State Extension: Select this link for a list of online state tax payment options and resources. Your payment counts as a state extension with most states. If you do not owe taxes or can't afford to pay state taxes, view the linked page for details.

eFile Tax Tip: e-File something (return or extension) even if you can't pay anything
by April 15, 2024! After that date, the deadline is October 15, 2024 to file a return.

Once you have e-filed your 2023 Tax Return or extension by the deadline, you will not be subject to late filing penalties, but late tax payment penalties might still apply. Late filing penalties are higher than late tax payment penalties in most cases. If you have the funds to pay now, do so as that would reduce any late tax payment penalties.

The question is, how do you know what you owe in taxes without filing a return? Preparing a return now would get you that answer. You can prepare a return to get an estimate of taxes owed and e-file an extension even if you do not have all information at hand to file the return. Start your return for free on eFile with no commitment to understand your taxes.

• See specific state tax return extension deadlines. For many states, paying your taxes online will serve as a state tax extension so you do not have to also file a state tax extension form. You can not eFile state tax extensions.
• See instructions on how to e-file a free IRS tax extension online.
• Pay your IRS taxes online by direct bank transfer or credit card. Note: You can pay online and then eFile the IRS extension.

Potential Late Filing or Late Payment Penalties

Failure to e-file or file a tax return or an IRS tax extension by Tax Day for the current year can be costly. 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. If you do not file or e-file and/or pay your taxes on time, you may be subject to IRS penalties.

Important: The only way to avoid late filing penalties is to e-file or file a tax return or extension by Tax Day. Late payment penalties will occur after the Tax Day Deadline for unpaid taxes. 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 file 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. Be aware that your return must be filed/e-filed within three years of the original due date.

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. You might also be able to apply for the Application for Extension of Time for Payment of Tax Due to Undue Hardship via Form 1127.

How to File a State Tax Extension

The requirements for filing a state tax extension vary from state to state based on tax extension filing deadlines, tax payment rules, or certain tax extension forms to fill out (or not, in some states' cases). 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.

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Important extension and return questions to consider:

• Are you expecting a tax refund? You have three years from the original due date for any given tax year to claim your refund by filing a tax return. After that date, you will no longer be able to claim your tax refund. Don't become an IRS unclaimed tax refund statistic!
• Find the tax refund eligibility filing deadlines by other tax years. Did you know that American taxpayers don't claim tax refunds annually in the average amount of over 1 billion U.S. Dollars? Don't become part of this statistic: e-File your current year tax return now and claim your tax refund. It's your hard-earned money. Keep in mind, if you owe taxes, you must file something (return or extension) by April 15 in order to avoid or minimize late filing penalties.
• Are you expecting to owe taxes? If so, you might face two IRS penalties.
  • 1. Late filing penalties: You can reduce potential late filing penalties immediately by e-filing an IRS and applicable state tax return, by April 15 even if you can't afford to pay your taxes. You can e-file a return or extension and pay as little or as much as you can afford. However, eFile something by April 15 even if you can't pay anything! It will spare you the late filing penalties.
  • 2. Late tax payment penalties: When you eFile your tax return, pay as little or as much as you can afford. Here are many tax payment options for you.
• Penalty estimator: Estimate your potential late filing or late payment IRS penalties plus state related penalties. 

Did you know that most taxpayers can eFile a Free Federal Edition return on eFile.com? Dare to compare eFile.com versus H&R Block^® and TurboTax^®.

Why or Why Not to e-File an Extension?

These considerations are only relevant before Tax Day, April 15,:

Is a Tax Extension Right for You?

Before you e-file a tax extension, consider these common misconceptions and truths about tax extensions:

What Is an IRS Tax Extension?

A tax extension gives you an additional 6 months to file your tax return, making your new deadline October 15. It is not an extension of time to pay your tax bill. e-File IRS Form 4868 by April 15 here on eFile.com for free. It is easy to prepare and e-file your federal tax extension on eFile.com since we will generate Form 4868 for you. See the penalties of not filing versus not paying taxes with the IRS penalty estimator.

Important: If you have an IRS accepted 2023 Tax Extension in your eFile.com account, you can use promo code ext40efile to save 40% when you complete and e-file your 2023 Tax Returns—IRS and states—by October 15, 2024.

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. However, you will need to find out how much you expect to owe in taxes and submit payment for at least 90% of your balance due by April 15 in order to avoid IRS penalties and interest. You can estimate your tax liability (or tax refund) with our free tax return calculator.

What to Do Before Preparing and Filing Your Tax Return

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!

3 Top Tax Extension Tips

1. DO e-file a tax extension even if you don't have all the information you need to prepare a tax return.
2. Do NOT e-file a tax extension if you have everything you need to do your taxes; preparing and e-filing a tax return will save you time and money.
3. A tax extension will not postpone your IRS tax payment deadline without a late payment penalty. An extension will ONLY eliminate the IRS late filing penalty (which generally is higher than the late tax payment penalty) until October 15. The late tax payment penalty will start on Tax Day, April 15. If you do not file a return by the October deadline, the late filing penalty will start as it was postponed by the extension. Late tax payment penalties will start on Tax Day and accrue until the taxes due are paid. Thus, you should file something (extension or return) even if you can't pay anything!

When to e-File a Tax Extension

You should e-file a federal tax extension for Tax Day, April 15, the timely deadline to e-file your return. If you file a tax extension, your new deadline to e-file a is on or around October 15. After this deadline, if you have already prepared your return on eFile.com, you can still access your return, print it, and mail it to the IRS to file it, but you will no longer be able to prepare online or e-file a current tax year return.

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.

After Tax Day, you can no longer e-file a tax extension. You will still be able to prepare and e-file a tax return past the deadline. Before you e-file, know the tax amount you owe. Once your tax return has been accepted by the IRS, you can make changes to this return by filing a tax amendment and download Form 1040X. There is no deadline to amend a tax return, but there is a 3 year limit on claiming tax refunds. If you e-file a tax extension, your new deadline to e-file your tax return will be October 15.

Tax Tip: It takes almost as much time to e-file a tax extension as it takes to start and eFile a tax return, so you may as well prepare your return with the information you have and e-file on time. Even if you don't have all your tax information by Tax Day, you can amend your tax return at any time and you have up to 3 years after the original filing deadline to claim a tax refund.

• Tax extensions are due by Tax Day for the current tax year. After that date, the IRS will no longer accept extension requests for that tax year or back taxes. See state tax return extensions deadlines.
• If you have not filed a tax return for a previous year, we recommend that you file the return as soon as possible and pay as much as you can.

Can I File an Extension and Not Pay Taxes?

Even if you do not have the money to pay the taxes you owe, you should e-file a tax extension or tax return. The potential IRS fees and penalties for not e-filing anything are most likely going to be larger than the fees and penalties for not paying your taxes on time. Therefore, pay as much or as little as you can, but do e-file something. The IRS will most likely add penalties and/or interest to the late payments. Learn about your tax payment options.

Find Out How Much You Owe in Taxes

Option 1: Estimate your taxes with the eFile.com free tax refund calculator.

Option 2: Start a tax return on eFile.com. Before you e-file the return, you will know whether you owe taxes based on all the tax information you entered.

You should file your tax return by the time it is due, regardless of whether or not a full payment can be made with the return. Depending on your circumstances, you may qualify for an IRS payment plan.

Contact eFile.com with any questions about tax extensions.

Tax Extension for U.S. Citizens, Resident Aliens Living Abroad

If you are a U.S. resident or resident alien living outside the US and Puerto Rico on Tax Day and your main place of business is outside of the United States, your tax deadline to file IRS tax returns or tax extensions is generally June 15; check here for state tax return deadlines. However, you will need to file your return on paper and attach a statement explaining why you qualify for the extension. You can prepare your return on eFile.com and then download, print, sign, and mail it.

If you need more time to file your tax return beyond June 15 to October 15, you can prepare and e-file extension Form 4868 on eFile.com by April 15. After the October deadline, you will need to prepare and file the form on paper since the IRS will stop accepting e-filed current year returns after that date. Make sure that you sign the form and check off the box indicating that you were out of the country on Tax Day before you mail it to the IRS. Be aware that any owed taxes, penalties, and interest will apply after April 15.

Automatic Tax Extension for the Military

If you are a member of the Armed Forces stationed outside of the United States (and Puerto Rico) at the time of your tax deadline then you will automatically receive a 2-month extension of time to file your tax return. This automatic extension is not an extension of time to pay any tax owed by the regular due date of the return. Therefore, interest is charged on any taxes owed from April 15 to the date the taxes are paid. You can get an additional extension to October 15 by using Form 4868.

If you are a member of the U.S. Armed Forces on active duty in an officially designated combat zone (or contingency operation) on April 15, you will receive an automatic extension of time to file and time to pay. The extension will be for 180 days plus the number of days you had left to file when you entered service in the combat zone. Learn more about deadline extensions for the military

Tax Extension Rejection Instructions

If you e-filed a tax extension on eFile.com, but the IRS rejected it, we recommend that you just get started on your tax return. Use our free tax refund calculator tool to estimate your taxes before you actually eFileIT. There is no penalty for filing late if you are getting a tax refund. If you owe taxes, you should e-file your tax return now to avoid the worst penalties even if you can't pay your taxes right now.

Tip: Make a tax payment as soon as possible.

• Because your extension was rejected, the tax payment you set up did not go through. As soon as possible, you should make a payment to avoid IRS penalties.
  • You can mail a payment with your tax extension; instructions are on the form.
  • You can make an online payment directly from your bank account or with a credit or debit card. Find out how to make online payments.

Don't hesitate to contact us so a Taxpert^® can assist you with your extension and return related questions.

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