Income Tax Extension Basics

You can easily extend your 2012 federal income tax filing deadline by six months, from April 15th, 2013 to October 15th, 2013. You don't even need to provide a reason. The deadline to request an extension is April 15th, 2013.

The most common document used to apply for a personal extension is IRS Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File US Individual Income Tax Return. You can obtain an empty 4868 and prepare and file it yourself free of charge by starting at this link. Or you can choose our simple online tool to prepare and e-file the application on your behalf by midnight central time, April 15th if your order is submitted by 9pm central time on April 15th.

No payment to the IRS is necessary to receive an extension. But extensions do not extend the time you have to pay your taxes. They only extend the deadline for filing your return. So to avoid interest and possible penalties, you should pay your estimated tax balance to the IRS by April 15th even if you get an extension.

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