What Is Form 4868?
Form 4868, or the Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File US Individual Income Tax Return, allows you to request extra time to file your individual income tax return, Form 1040. It applies to Form 1040 and its alternatives, including 1040-SR (for seniors) and 1040-NR (for nonresident aliens). Plus, the extension this form grants also gives you more time to file Form 709 or 709-NA, which relate to gift and generation-skipping transfer taxes.
Form 4868 Deadlines
You must apply for an extension by April 15, 2025, as a regular US taxpayer. If approved, the extension will give you six more months to file, so your new tax return deadline would be October 15, 2025.
If you live or work outside the US, you have two extra months to file Form 4868. If you file the extension request by June 16, 2025, you may qualify for the same October 15 extension as traditional US taxpayers.
Avoiding Late Filing Penalties
An extension from Form 4868 can be very helpful, as it lets you avoid paying the late filing fee, called the failure-to-file penalty. This fee can be 5% of the tax you owe for each month, up to a 25% maximum. By filling out Form 4868 with Legal Templates, you can kickstart the process of getting an extension.
Reasons to Request an Extension
Your reasons for completing Form 4868 remain your knowledge alone—the form does not ask you to explain why you need a filing extension. However, it can be helpful to know when you may need to seek one. Taxpayers may complete Form 4868 for the following reasons:
- You’re short on time: You may need more time to meet with an expert to discuss a complicated tax situation.
- You have other matters in your life: If you’re experiencing a medical or family emergency, you may not have enough time to file by the traditional date.
- You’re outside of the country: If you’re working or living somewhere outside the US, you may need more time to get your filing situated.
- You’re self-employed and want to plan for retirement: As a self-employed person, you may want to take more time to set up a Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) plan.
- You’re missing documents: If you never received your Schedule K-1, 1099-MISC, 1099-NEC, or another tax form, you may need an extension to file properly.
Can I Delay Tax Payments With Form 4868?
No. Form 4868 only lets you push the deadline for filing your tax return. It’s still your responsibility to make at least 90% of your tax payments by April 15, 2025, or by June 16, 2025, if you live or work abroad.
Without Form 1040 to reference, your tax payments should be an estimate. Study your most recent tax return and make a good-faith estimate of your credits, deductions, and income for the 2024 tax year. If your income hasn’t changed much from last year, you can use last year’s numbers as a basis. For greater accuracy, consider using online tax calculators to get an estimate of your 2024 liability.
If you miss the deadline for payments, you may be subject to penalties, including a 0.5% penalty per month on unpaid taxes (with a maximum penalty of 25%). Plus, you’ll have to pay interest on unpaid taxes, regardless of the extension.
What If I Anticipate a Refund?
If you anticipate a tax refund, you should still fill out Form 4868 if you don’t think you’ll be able to file on time. You won’t have to submit a payment since you won’t have a tax liability, but you’re still responsible for filing, whether by April 15 or by the deadline that an approved Form 4868 grants.
How to Request an Extension to File Your Tax Return
The IRS is committed to helping taxpayers get the extensions they need. You can request an automatic extension of time to file your tax return via one of the following methods:
1. Paper Filing
Paper filing is one of the simplest methods for requesting an extension. You can start by filling out Form 4868 online via Legal Templates. When it’s ready, simply save it as a PDF and print it. Then, you can send it to one of two places: either the Department of the Treasury or the Internal Revenue Service. Send it to the former location if you won’t submit a payment with it, and send it to the latter if you will submit a payment with it.
Check the IRS website for the right location, as the location you send it to depends on where you live.
2. Electronic Filing
The second option is to electronically file via tax preparation software. While this is a viable option, it may be costly to enlist the services of tax experts.
3. Direct Payment
Lastly, you can make a direct payment of your expected tax liability to the IRS. As long as you signal that the payment is for an extension, you won’t have to submit any paperwork.
Note that this method won’t be helpful if you don’t expect to owe any money. To be safe, you can fill out Form 4868 and submit it to ensure you have extra time to file.
How to Fill Out Form 4868
Filling out Form 4868 is the first step to getting more time to file your federal income tax return. Follow these steps to ensure you complete it correctly.
1. Provide Identification Information
Start by filling out your name and address, including the street address, city/town, state, and ZIP code in line 1.
Then, provide your social security number in line 2. If you plan to file a joint return with a spouse, input their social security number in line 3.
2. Give Individual Income Tax Information
Fill out these four lines to provide information about your individual income tax:
- Line 4: Write your estimated tax liability for 2024.
- Line 5: Enter the total payments you expect to report on your Form 1040 or equivalent document.
- Line 6: Subtract line 5 from line 4 to get your total balance due.
- Line 7: Input the payment you will submit with Form 4868.
If line 5 exceeds line 4, you can enter “0” in line 6.
3. Indicate Special Circumstances (If Applicable)
For boxes 8 and 9, you will indicate whether special circumstances apply. Box 8 lets you specify if you’re “out of the country” and a US citizen or resident. Box 9 lets you state if you normally file Form 1040-NR but didn’t receive wages as an employee subject to income tax withholding.
If neither of these situations apply, leave the checkbox blank.
What Happens After I Fill Out Form 4868?
Once you fill out Form 4868, you can submit it to the appropriate location. As noted above, the location will either be the Department of the Treasury for forms without payments or the IRS for forms with payments.
When you file by mail, the IRS will most likely grant your request as long as you fill out the form correctly and file on time. If the IRS denies it, they’ll reach out to you with a reason.
After filing your request, you can submit your tax return any time before the extension due date arrives. Be sure to include any payment you made with Form 4868 on the appropriate line of your tax return.
How Legal Templates Helps You Extend Your Filing Deadline
Here at Legal Templates, we offer a convenient way for you to fill out Form 4868. Simply go into our document editor and provide your unique details. We make the process as seamless as possible so you don’t have to tediously fill it out by hand. Simply input your information and let us produce a neat, easy-to-read document.
When you’re done, you can save it for future use, which may involve printing and sending it to the IRS on your own.
Remember, you are still responsible for meeting your taxpaying responsibilities by the April 15, 2025, deadline. We only help you fill out an extension request so you can apply for more time and potentially avoid the late filing fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I not file Form 4868?
Don’t file Form 4868 simply because you can’t afford your tax bill. It won’t help matters, as Form 4868 only extends the filing deadline, not the payment deadline. You cannot request more time to pay your taxes except in cases of undue hardship, which will require you to complete Form 1127.
What’s the difference between Form 4868 and Form 2350?
Both forms let US citizens and residents ask for a time extension to file their tax returns. However, Form 2350 is only needed if the taxpayer must file Form 2555 or 2555-EZ and needs more time to meet the bona fide residence or physical presence test for the foreign earned income exclusion or housing exclusion/deduction.
Does filing for an extension increase your chances of being audited?
No. Filing for an extension does not increase your chances of being audited by the IRS. You should not let worries of being audited stop you from getting an extension to which you’re entitled.
