If you need more time to prepare and file your tax return documents, you can request an extension. This moves the deadline back from April to October for personal income taxes and from March to September for annual business taxes.
Does NOT Extend Time to Pay
When you request an extension, any amount you might otherwise owe in taxes is still due in April (March for businesses). There is no way to extend your time to pay. If you didn't pay at least what you owed in taxes in either withholding or estimated payments, you can also expect to receive penalty fees from tax authorities.
More Information
The Tax Strategist submits filing extensions on behalf of its clients under certain circumstances, such as when a client knows their documents won't be available before the March or April deadline. Existing clients are recommended to reach out to us using your secure portal account if you're interested in filing an extension. If you'd like to file an extension for yourself, we provide the information below as additional references.
How do I request a deadline extension?
Individual taxpayers must complete IRS Form 4868. Instructions on how to fill out, e-file, and pay, and where to mail a printed version, are included in the form's additional pages.
Business entities must complete IRS Form 7004. Instructions are available at IRS.gov/Form7004.
Each state and municipality has its own set of requirements for filing an extension — especially if you expect to owe taxes. For information on your state's filing guidelines, see our State Tax Resources page.
