Deadline for Filing Your Return
Generally, individual tax returns are due on the 15th day of the fourth month after the close of your tax year. Since virtually all individual taxpayers file on a calendar year, the due date for most individual taxpayers is April 15. That is the due date for both filing your return and paying any balance-due taxes. If the April 15 due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday or federal legal holiday, the due date is delayed until the next business day. Most states have the same due date, although some give additional time.
U.S. citizen and U.S. resident taxpayers who are out of the country on the April due date may qualify for an automatic two-month extension to file their return and pay any federal income tax that is due. This applies if they are living outside of the United States and Puerto Rico and their main place of business or post of duty is outside the United States and Puerto Rico, or they are in military or naval service on duty outside the United States and Puerto Rico. Merely being out of the U.S. on vacation on the return due date isn’t a reason to qualify for the automatic 2-month extension.
The deadlines for filing and paying, if there is a tax due, is extended for 180 days after the latter of the last day a military taxpayer was in a combat zone/qualified hazardous duty area, or the last day of any continuous qualified hospitalization for injury from service in the combat zone/qualified hazardous duty area. In addition to the 180 days, the deadline is also extended by the number of days that were left for the individual to take action with the IRS when they entered a combat zone/qualified hazardous duty area.
Proof of Filing
If a paper return is being filed, it is considered filed on time if it is properly addressed, has sufficient postage and is postmarked by the due date. It may be appropriate to obtain a proof of mailing if there is a balance due on the return, since both the late filing penalty and the late payment penalty are based on the amount of the balance due. This is especially important if the amount of balance due is sizable and the returns are mailed close to the due date. If the return is sent by registered mail, the date of the registration is the postmark date. The registration is evidence that the return was delivered. If sent by certified mail and the receipt is postmarked by a postal employee, the date on the receipt is the postmark date. The postmarked certified mail receipt is evidence that the return was delivered. Note: A private postage meter date is not considered to be valid proof of mailing.
In addition to filing paper returns through the U.S. Postal Service, the IRS has designated several private delivery services that taxpayers can use to send their returns to the IRS. The postmark date for these services is generally the date the private delivery service records the date in its database or marks on the mailing label. The private delivery service will explain how to get written proof of this date.
For e-filed returns, the date of an electronic postmark given by an authorized electronic return transmitter is considered to be the filing date if the electronic postmark’s date is on or before the filing due date.
Reasons for an Extension
There are valid reasons for not filing a tax return on time, and there is no stigma associated with doing so. The following are typical reasons that taxpayers file an extension:
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