With this year’s Monday, April 18th Tax deadline rapidly approaching, you may be worried about needing an extension. The IRS has a new online feature that may make it easier to get a little extra time to get all your paperwork together….all the way thru mid-October.
But remember, it’s NOT an extension from paying estimated taxes if you owe the government any money. That’s still due this year on the 18th.
Why not the 15th? There’s a national holiday observed on the 15th in Washington DC , so we all get a little extra time. Who knows what the Holiday is? Extra bonus points will be awarded.
Tax Time Guide:
Automatic Tax-Filing Extensions Now Available; Use Free File to Get Six More Months to File
For taxpayers who haven’t yet filed their returns, the IRS has this advice: don’t panic. Taxpayers who need more time to complete their return can request an automatic six-month extension.
The fastest and easiest way to get the extra time is through the Free File link on IRS.gov. In a matter of minutes, anyone, regardless of income, can use this free service to electronically request an extension on Form 4868. Filing this form gives taxpayers until Oct. 17 to file a tax return. To get the extension, taxpayers must estimate their tax liability on this form and should, also, pay any amount due.
Another quick and easy way to get an extension is to make an electronic payment, such as through IRS Direct Pay, and select Form 4868 to indicate that it is for an extension. Available anytime, Direct Pay offers individual taxpayers a free, secure way to quickly make a tax payment without having to write a check, buy a stamp or find a mailbox.
No preregistration is required, and payments can be scheduled up to 30 days in advance. Anyone using this online tool receives instant confirmation that their payment has been submitted and they do not have to file a Form 4868.
https://www.irs.gov/Filing/Extension-of-Time-To-File-Your-Tax-Return
By Al Sunshine, SouthFloridaReporter.com, Consumer Investigator, April 13, 2016
