The Internal Revenue Service reports that the deadline to file a 2023 tax return is Monday, April 15, 2024. The vast majority of taxpayers will have no issue filing by the deadline, but some may not be able to file on time. In such instances, taxpayers can apply for an extension of time to file.

An extension is not necessarily as straightforward as the term suggests. In fact, the IRS urges taxpayers to be aware that applying for an extension does not grant taxpayers an extension of time to pay their taxes. Failure to pay by the April 15 deadline could incur penalties, even for people who have applied for an extension. The IRS urges taxpayers to estimate any owed taxes by the deadline and submit payments for those estimates by April 15.

Extension requests must be submitted by the regular return due date.

Some taxpayers may not have to submit an extension return. The IRS notes that taxpayers in certain disaster areas do not need to submit an extension electronically or on paper. For example, the IRS had already determined by February 2024 that Maine taxpayers impacted by severe storms and flooding qualified for tax relief. Various deadlines, including the April 15 filing deadline for individuals and businesses, were extended to June 17, 2024. A list of additional extensions affecting the 2024 filing deadline can be found at https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-relief-in-disaster-situations.

Individual taxpayers, regardless of income, can use the IRS Free File (https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free) to request an automatic tax-filing extension. Filing that form gives taxpayers until Oct. 15 to file a return. If Oct. 15 falls on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, the due date is extended until the next business day. It’s important that taxpayers filing for the Oct. 15 extension deadline recognize that they must still estimate their tax liability on the Free File form and pay any estimated taxes owed.