When Do I Need to File for an Extension on My Taxes?

Here's the deadline for tax extensions and what you need to do before you request more time.

If you need more time to file your 2021 tax return, there's good news. The IRS allows for a six-month tax extension for anyone who needs it.

However, to get this additional time, you'll need to file an extension in a timely manner. Here's a rundown of when you need to file for an extension, what an extension does (and does not) allow you to do, and how to actually file an extension for your tax return.

The short answer

The filing deadline for the 2021 tax year is April 18. In most years, tax day is April 15, but this year, that date falls on a Washington, D.C., holiday, and that's followed by a weekend.

The deadline to file a tax extension is the same as the deadline to file a tax return. So, to make a long story short, if you plan to file an extension for your 2021 tax return, you'll need to do it on or before Monday, April 18.

It's also worth noting that if you choose to mail in your extension request, formally known as IRS Form 4868, it needs to be postmarked by April 18. If you mail it by April 18, it will be considered as filed on time, regardless of when it actually arrives at the IRS office. In other words, don't stress about mail delays.

Before we move on, it's also worth mentioning that victims in FEMA disaster areas can continue to request extensions after the April 18 deadline. However, to do so you'll have to mail in Form 4868 -- the IRS is unable to accept electronic extension requests after April 18.

You still need to pay

If you file a tax extension on time, you'll automatically get an additional six months to file your 2021 return. For 2022, the actual extended tax deadline is Monday, Oct. 17 (usually it is on the 15th, but that falls on a Saturday).

However, any payment you owe to the IRS will still be due on the normal April 18 tax deadline.

That said, you might not know precisely how much you owe, especially if your reason for filing an extension is because of missing tax documents. But it's important to emphasize that if you expect to owe money for the 2021 tax year, you need to send it along with your extension request, or separately before the tax deadline passes.

Regardless of how you file your extension request (more on that in the next section), you can pay your taxes through the mail by check or money order, or electronically by debit or credit card through irs.gov/payments.

How to file an extension for your 2021 tax return

As a final thought, it's important to mention how you can file for a tax extension. And there are two main options.

First, if you want to file your extension easily and quickly, you can file a tax extension through your favorite tax software provider, such as TurboTax or TaxAct. If you don't have a preferred software provider, you can use the IRS Free File tool to find a provider and submit your extension.

Alternatively, you can print IRS Form 4868 and mail it to the IRS using the address in the form's instructions. As mentioned earlier, you have to make sure your extension is postmarked by the deadline, but hopefully the extension will give you a little more time and peace of mind to get your taxes filed accurately.