Sometimes life gets in the way, and you find yourself in the situation where you need to file for an extension with the IRS. Don’t worry, filing for a tax extension is easy with eSmart Tax.  

 

You may be surprised to hear, but if you need more time to file your taxes beyond April 15th, you can file an extension for any reason. Your extension can even be filed electronically, and for free. Although, if you miss the April 15th deadline, you will be subject to late payment and filing fees, and interest on your balance.

 

The good news is that filing a tax extension has its benefits:

  • You have more time to gather documents or receive new ones if another has a mistake.
  • You have more time to get advice on a difficult tax situation.
  • Your life is busy and you just need more time to file.
  • You’ll be out of town during tax season and you need more time to file.

Should you find yourself in need to file for an extension, it’s a simple process to complete. Simply access your My Account page and click the button that says “File an Extension.” We’ll walk you through the process, and help you submit your extension electronically fast and easy.

 

Now that your extension’s filed, you may be wondering what’s next? You have until October 15th of the current year to file your return as normal, and without penalty. If you miss the October 15th deadline, you will be subject to the IRS’s penalties:

  • Failure-to-file penalty – 5% of the unpaid taxes for each month or part of a month that the return is late. However, there is a cap of 25%.
  • Failure-to-pay penalty - .5% of the unpaid taxes for each month or part of a month that the return is late. Again, there is a cap of 25%.
  • Both may apply – If this is the case, don’t fret. If both apply for a month, the maximum penalty remains at 5%.
  • 60-day Rule – If your return is late by 60 days or more, you’ll have a penalty of atleast $135 or 100% of the unpaid tax amount – whichever is smaller.
  • Oh, and Interest, too – On top of all of those penalties and numbers, there’s still interest on the penalized amount.

 

If you are due a refund, and do not owe, there may be no penalty for filing late. However we still recommend filing an extension if you are not able to file by April 15th.

 

Life’s hard enough, taxes shouldn’t be. Just like sharing this tax-saving article with your friends and family by using the Share buttons below. Plus, we provide helpful, valuable tax and lifestyle help on The Daily Deduction throughout the year – so it pays to follow us. If you want more information like this, Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to get more articles like this posted directly to your timeline or newsfeed!