Need More Time to File or Pay Taxes?

If you owe taxes but can’t pay in full by the April deadline, you should file your tax return anyway. Pay as much as you can and request an installment agreement for the rest. That’s because an extension of time to file is not an extension of time to pay.

However, if you need more time to prepare your federal tax return, you can request an extension by filing Form 4868. You can also get a filing extension by making an electronic payment at IRS.gov/payments and selecting Form 4868 or “extension” as the payment type. The extension will get you six more months to complete your return.

For more information, go to IRS.gov/extension. Even if you can’t pay, you should file your return or get an extension so that you don’t get a failure-to-file penalty.