Personal Income Tax Extension (Form 4868) Questions

Not at all! The IRS allows a few days for you to be officially approved for a tax extension. This means that you also generally have a few days after the deadline to fix any possible errors that might cause rejection.

Depending on volumes, you will generally hear back within a few hours about the status of your personal tax extension. Remember that as long as you submit your extension request by midnight on the IRS deadline, your application will be marked as submitted "on time."

Most extended personal income tax returns are due 6 months after the original filing deadline -- October 15th. However, some exceptions may apply if you are living out of the country or if you are military serving in a combat zone. See our FAQ pertaining to out-of-the-country filers and our article about military tax extensions for further details

FileLater services will electronically file IRS Tax Form 4868 for your personal income tax extension. This will give you a 6-month extension for your 1040, 1040A, 1040EZ, 1040NR, 1040NR-EZ, 1040-PR, or 1040-SS tax return. FileLater can also help business owners extend their business tax returns. To learn more about business extensions, visit our Business Income Tax Extensions section.

The IRS does offer special tax extension allowances for military personnel. You can read our article about Military Tax Extensions or refer to IRS Publication 3 (Armed Forces Tax Guide) for details.

If you plan on filing a joint tax return that year, you can include your spouse on your personal income tax extension. Note that you will need to provide your spouse's Social Security Number to get a joint extension. On the other hand, if you plan on filing your taxes separately, you and your spouse should submit two separate tax extension applications.

Although are you not required to make a payment of the taxes you estimate as due, filing a tax extension does not extend the time you have to pay taxes. If you do not pay the amount due by the original due date (usually April 15th), you will likely be charged interest and be subject to late payment penalties. See IRS Payments and Penalties for more information.

FileLater services will help you decide whether or not you should make a tax payment when you e-file your extension. As a FileLater customer, you will have access to our simple tax calculator that helps you determine if you should make a tax payment and how much of a payment is recommended.

Out of the Country" means either you live outside the United States (and Puerto Rico) and your main place of work is outside the United States (and Puerto Rico), or you are engaged in active military duty outside the United States and Puerto Rico. If you qualify as being "out of the country" you will still be eligible for a tax extension -- even if you are physically present in the United States (or Puerto Rico) on the regular due date of your return.

If, on the original due date of your return, you are out of the country and you're a US Citizen or resident, you are automatically allowed 2 extra months to file your return and pay any amount due without officially requesting a tax extension from the IRS. For a calendar year return, the extended deadline would be June 15. If you want to request an additional 4-month extension (moving your deadline to October 15), FileLater can help you e-file Form 4868. FileLater will ask if you are an "out of the country" filer as part of our online application process, and we'll handle the necessary changes when we e-file your tax extension. According to the IRS, certain taxpayers who are out of the country can request a discretionary 2-month additional extension of time to file their return (moving the deadline to December 15). To request this extra extension, you must send the IRS a letter explaining the reasons why you need the extra 2 months. Mail your letter to the IRS by the extended deadline (October 15). Note that you will not receive any notification from the IRS unless your extension request is denied

State regulations on tax extensions vary from state-to-state. Please visit our State Tax Extensions Center for detailed instructions for each state.