How to file for a tax extension

If you simply don’t have time to deal with taxes by the April 15th deadline, it’s not difficult to get a reprieve.

by Barbara Krasnoff

Updated Jan 18, 2024, 9:15 PM UTC

Image: Samar Haddad / The Verge

When it comes to filing and paying your federal and state taxes for 2024, there’s good and bad news. The bad news is: you have to file by April 15th. The good news is that if you can’t file your taxes by then — because of a family emergency, a large work project, or simple procrastination — you can file for an extension, and it won’t take long.

If you’re an individual (and let’s assume you are), you can file for an extension easily online by filling out Form 4868 using the IRS’s Free File program. (Filing an extension is free no matter what your income level is.) Some things to keep in mind:

Once you file an extension, you will have until October 15th to file.
You will still have to approximate how much you owe the government and pay the amount due.
If you know you will owe taxes and decide to pay them all or in part through Direct Pay, the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS), or a credit card, debit card, or digital wallet, you can indicate that the payment is for an extension, and you won’t have to file a separate form.
If you’d rather mail a hard copy form, you can find a PDF to print out here. You’re on time as long as it is postmarked by April 15th.

Good luck!

Update January 30th, 2025: This article was originally published on July 14th, 2020, and has been updated to change dates and other information for tax year 2024.

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