{"id":20689,"date":"2025-04-08T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-08T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/resource-center.hrblock.com\/"},"modified":"2025-04-10T15:00:03","modified_gmt":"2025-04-10T20:00:03","slug":"irs-extension","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hrbcomlnp.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/irs\/deadlines-and-extensions\/irs-extension\/","title":{"rendered":"IRS tax extension: How to file an extension for taxes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>You can file an extension for your taxes this tax year electronically or by mail by submitting\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/irs\/refunds-and-payments\/irs-form-4868\/\"><strong>IRS Form 4868<\/strong><\/a> with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). This must be done before the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/irs\/deadlines-and-extensions\/tax-deadlines\/\">last day for filing taxes<\/a>. Filing an extension for your taxes gives you additional months to prepare your individual income tax return no matter the reason you need the extra time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-a-tax-extension\">What is a tax extension?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Each tax season, some taxpayers will ask, \u201cHow do I get an extension for my taxes?\u201d But they might be thinking of the taxes owed and not the tax return itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This question calls attention to a key distinction about what a tax extension is\u2014and what it is not. A tax extension is a request for additional time to file your federal income tax return. <strong>But take note: Filing a tax extension only gives you more time to finish the paperwork, not more time to pay your tax bill. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-the-tax-extension-deadline\">What is the tax extension deadline?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Your tax <strong>payment <\/strong>is still due on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/irs\/deadlines-and-extensions\/tax-deadlines\/\">tax deadline<\/a>, which typically falls on April 15 or on the next business day if it falls on a weekend or holiday. For the 2025 tax year (taxes filed in 2026), tax extensions submitted by April 15 moves the filing deadline to October 15.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>If you know you\u2019ll be getting a tax refund, <\/strong>you won\u2019t need to worry about paying when you are filing an extension for taxes. The earlier you file your return, the earlier you\u2019ll receive your refund.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>If you think or know you\u2019ll owe<\/strong>, you should estimate what you&#8217;ll owe (see below) and pay the estimated tax amount due when you file Form 4868.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How to File a Tax Extension Step-by-Step | H&amp;R Block\u00ae\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xyQbNAPlarE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-is-there-a-penalty-for-filing-a-federal-tax-extension\">Is there a penalty for filing a federal tax extension?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Filing a tax extension is not a bad thing. There is no penalty for filing a tax extension. However, not paying on time or enough, or failing to file altogether, may cost you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If you don\u2019t pay the full amount you owe (i.e., your tax liability), the IRS will charge you interest on the unpaid tax balance until you pay the full amount.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you don\u2019t pay at least 90% of the amount you owe, you might also be subject to a late payment penalty. The penalty is usually half of 1% of the amount owed for each month, up to a maximum of 25%.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you don\u2019t file either your return or Form 4868 by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/irs\/deadlines-and-extensions\/tax-deadlines\/\">tax filing deadline<\/a> for the given tax year, you\u2019ll be subject to a late filing penalty. The penalty is usually 5% of the amount you owe for each month, up to a maximum of 25%.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>After you file the extension, you\u2019ll have until October 15 to gather your documents and finish your filing. &nbsp;When you complete your return, you should include the amount you\u2019ve already paid in the payments section of your Form 1040.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"240\" height=\"160\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/tax-extension.jpg\" alt=\"Filing a tax extension documents.\" class=\"wp-image-44728\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-file-a-tax-extension-with-form-4868\">How to file a tax extension with Form 4868<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Form 4868 is the IRS form you complete to receive an automatic extension to file your return. You can file a tax extension online in one of several ways with H&amp;R Block. While you won\u2019t be filling out the paper Form 4868 line-by-line, your tax extension information will be sent online to the IRS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-here-s-how-to-get-an-extension-on-your-taxes-with-h-amp-r-block\">Here\u2019s how to get an extension on your taxes with H&amp;R Block*<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re not ready to file your tax return, don&#8217;t let Tax Day go by without filing for an income tax extension. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>File your tax extension online on your own<\/strong> \u2013 Start with an existing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/online-tax-filing\/\">H&amp;R Block Online<\/a> account or create a new one to submit your extension request. To get started, once you are logged in, look for the &#8220;File an extension&#8221; link under the Tax Filing Resources header on the Overview tab. Our program will ask you all the relevant questions, so you can file your extension with the IRS.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>File your tax extension with a tax pro  <\/strong>\u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-offices\/?app_method=GENERAL_TAX_PREP_METHOD\">Make an appointment with an H&amp;R Block tax pro<\/a> to submit your tax extension. You can work with one of our tax professionals in-person, virtually or by drop off.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Not sure you&#8217;ll be able to pay your tax bill? The IRS offers payment options to help you pay off your bill (see our post on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/irs\/refunds-and-payments\/set-up-an-irs-payment-plan\/\">IRS payment plans<\/a>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Don\u2019t live in the United States? Find out how to file an extension when you\u2019re living abroad from our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/expat-tax-preparation\/\">Expat Tax Services<\/a> team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>* Fees may apply.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You can file an extension for your taxes this tax year electronically or by mail by submitting\u00a0IRS Form 4868 with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). This must be done before the last day for filing taxes. Filing an extension for your taxes gives you additional months to prepare your individual income tax return no matter [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":44731,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,54],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20689","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-irs","category-deadlines-and-extensions"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<title>How To File An Extension For Taxes With Form 4868 | H&amp;R Block<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Filing an extension for your taxes gives you additional months to prepare your return no matter why you need extra time. 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