Welcome to our Individual Income Tax Extension Filing Service
We are an independent document preparation and filing service. We work only for you, and only to improve your filing experience. Click on the questions below to learn more.
The regular due date for most individuals for a 2012 federal tax return is Monday, April 15th, 2013. However this filing deadline can be extended to Tuesday, October 15th, 2013.
The due date for requesting a filing extension is the regular due date of your return. For most individuals, this means Monday, April 15th, 2012.
Tax extensions extend the time you have to file your return. They do not extend the time that you have to pay your taxes. Any 2012 tax balance is still due to the IRS by 4/15/13.
You do not have to pay the balance to receive a filing extension. However, failing to pay it in full by 4/15/13 will result in added interest, and possible penalties. So the IRS advises that if you cannot pay your full actual or estimated balance by 4/15/13, you should pay as much as you can to limit the amount of added interest you will owe later.
An extension filed through our website can extend your extend your federal tax filing deadline by approximately six months, from 4/15/13 to 10/15/12.
If your order is placed by 9pm central time on April 15th, we will e-file your extension application by midnight central time. Our business hours are Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm Central Time, excluding holidays. In most cases, the e-filing is successful and we e-mail you immediately with a Submission ID. In some cases, problems with application information, such as a mis-matched name and social security number, prevent a successful e-filing. In those cases, we contact you immediately by e-mail as well.
There are numerous extension-related IRS forms such as:
- •Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File US Individual Income Tax Return
- •Form 7004, Application for Automatic Extension of Time To File Certain Business Income Tax, Information, and Other Returns
- •Form 1138, Extension of Time for Payment of Taxes by a Corporation Expecting a Net Operating Loss Carryback
- •Form 2350, Application for Extension of Time to File U.S. Income Tax Return (For U.S. Citizens and Resident Aliens Abroad Who Expect To Qualify for Special Tax Treatment)
- •Form 4768, Application for Extension of Time to File a Return and/or Pay U.S. Estate (and Generation-Skipping Transfer) Taxes
- •Form 5558, Application for Extension of Time to File Certain Employee Plan Returns
- •Form 8809, Application for Extension of Time to File Information Returns
- •Form 8868, Application for Extension of Time To File an Exempt Organization Return.
- •Form 8892, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File Form 709 and/or Payment of Gift/Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax
Of those, the most common is Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File US Individual Income Tax Return. We can prepare and e-file Form 4868 for you, within one business day.
This is also called your total tax liability". It is the total amount of taxes that you owe the IRS for 2012, whether you have paid any of it yet or not. For example, if you estimate that you will owe the IRS $10,000, and you had $5000 withheld from your paychecks throughout the year for federal taxes, your total tax liability is that first number, $10,000.
For reference, this would be the number you enter on line 61 of Form 1040.
One way you can estimate your total tax liability is as follows:
- •Add together your income from employers, savings and investments, and other sources. You can find federal taxable income from an employer in box 1 of the W-2 form that the employer sends you. Various other income such as for independent contractors, and unearned income like interest and dividends can be found on the 1099 forms that you may receive.
- •You can then reduce that number with any deductions, exemptions, or other gross income adjustments that you expect to qualify for.
- •You now have an estimate of your total taxable income.
- •Use the 2012 Tax Table found here to estimate your tax liability. For example, if your total taxable income is $20,000 and you are Single, the tax table calculates your total tax liability as $2579.
It is important that you attempt to estimate as well as you can. If the IRS later determines that your estimate was not reasonable, they will nullify your extension.
How do I estimate the amount of federal taxes that have already been withheld or otherwise paid?
If you have federal taxes withheld from your paycheck by your employer, this number will be in box 2 of the W-2 form you receive from them. Add these withholdings to any other payments that you have already made toward your 2012 federal taxes. The total is your 2012 federal taxes already paid.
Do not include the amount of any payment that you will be making now, with an extension.
It is important to that you attempt to estimate as well as you can. If the IRS later determines that your estimate was not reasonable, they will nullify your extension.
The IRS's language on this is as follows: Make your estimate as accurate as you can with the information you have. If we later find that the estimate was not reasonable, the extension will be null and void. The key word in that seems to be "reasonable", which means is that your estimate is not expected to be exactly right. Rather, the IRS must judge it to be fair, sensible, and in good faith. If they did decide to nullify your extension based on what they determine to be an unreasonable estimate, the result would be additional interest and possibly penalties.
No, you do not need to make any payment to the IRS to get a filing extension. However, tax extensions do not extend the time that you have to pay your taxes. They only extend the time you have to file your tax return. Any 2012 tax balance is still due to the IRS by 4/15/13. Failing to pay the balance in full by 4/15/13 will result in added interest, and possible penalties. So the IRS advises that if you cannot pay your full actual or estimated balance by 4/15/13, you should pay as much as you can to limit the amount of added interest you will owe later.
You do not need to make any payment to the IRS to get a filing extension. However, tax extensions do not extend the time that you have to pay your taxes. They only extend the time you have to file your tax return. Any 2012 tax balance is still due to the IRS by 4/15/13. Failing to pay the balance in full by 4/15/13 will result in added interest, and possible penalties. So the IRS advises that if you cannot pay your full actual or estimated balance by 4/15/13, you should pay as much as you can to limit the amount of added interest you will owe later.
This is what the IRS recommends if you cannot pay your full balance due by 4/15/13. The reason is that tax extensions do not extend the time that you have to pay your taxes. They only extend the time you have to file your tax return. Any 2012 tax balance is still due to the IRS by 4/15/13. Failing to pay the balance in full by 4/15/13 will result in added interest, and possible penalties. So the IRS advises that if you cannot pay your full actual or estimated balance by 4/15/13, you should pay as much as you can to limit the amount of added interest you will owe later.
To make an extension payment to the IRS by credit or debit card after e-filing your extension through our website, go here and select one of the service providers in the first table. Note that paying by debit card usually results in a smaller convenience fee than paying by credit card. You will get a payment confirmation number, which you should keep for your records. Do not file a paper form 4868 since it has already been e-filed.
To make an extension payment to the IRS by check or money order after e-filing your extension through our website, make your check or money order payable to "United States Treasury", and write your social security number, daytime phone number, and "2012 Form 4868" on it. Then print out your prepared Form 4868 from our website for use as a payment voucher. Send the prepared Form 4868 and check or money order together to an IRS address that will be provided to you by our website upon order completion. The IRS address to use will vary based on the address you enter for yourself on our application. Do not staple or attach the 4868 to the check or money order.
To get credit for any extension payment you make to the IRS, indicate the amount of your extension payment on your return when you file it. But how exactly to do that depends on which return form you file. Locate your return form in the list below to learn the details.
- •If filing Form 1040, refer to the instructions for line 68.
- •If filing Form 1040-A, refer to the instructions for line 41.
- •If filing Form 1040-EZ, refer to the instructions for line 9.
- •If filing Form 1040-NR, refer to the instructions for line 64.
- •If filing Form 1040-NR-EZ, refer to the instructions for line 21.
- •If filing Form 1040-PR, refer to the instructions for line 10.
- •If filing Form 1040-SS, refer to the instructions for line 10.
If you process an extension application through our website, we will e-file it with the IRS.
Then if you decide to make an extension payment to the IRS by check or money order, you will need to print a copy of your prepared Form 4868 to send as a payment voucher with your check or money order. We will provide a link to your prepared Form 4868 after we have e-filed your extension.
If you do not make an extension payment to the IRS, or if you make an extension payment to the IRS by credit or debit card, the prepared Form 4868 is simply to keep for your records.
Please click here to use our fee calculator to view our service fee for preparing your 4868 document and e-filing your extension. Our service fee is separate from any tax payment that you choose to make to the IRS.
You can e-mail us at support@SimpleFilings.com or by using the Contact Us page of this site. Our fax number is 866-687-7779, and our phone number is 866-659-5246. Business hours are Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm Central. Our specialists look forward to assisting you.
Yes. The information you submit is secured using SSL encryption technology. The "s" in the "https://" at the start of the address of pages that collect or display your information is what identifies this security. Click here for more information about our data security practices.