If you request an extension on your 2025 federal tax return, the new filing deadline is Thursday, October 15, 2026. You get there by filing Form 4868 on or before the original April 15, 2026 due date. The extension only moves the deadline to file your paperwork: any tax you owe is still due April 15, 2026, and the IRS charges interest and a penalty on whatever isn’t paid by then.
How to file Form 4868
Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time To File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, requests six more months to file Form 1040. You can submit it by mail, through an IRS e-file partner, or through a tax professional, and it must reach the IRS by the original April 15 deadline. Filing it is automatic: you don’t need a reason, and the IRS doesn’t ask for one.
File now, pay now, or as close to now as you can
An extension of time to file is not an extension of time to pay, so the IRS advises sending an accurate estimate of what you owe with Form 4868, or paying electronically by April 15. Whatever isn’t paid by then starts accumulating interest and a failure-to-pay penalty, 0.5% of the unpaid balance per month, up to 25%, from April 16 onward, even though the paperwork itself isn’t due until October.
Special extensions that don’t require Form 4868
A few groups get more time automatically, without filing anything:
- Military and government personnel serving outside the US and Puerto Rico: an automatic two-month extension to June 15, though payment is still due April 15.
- US citizens living and working abroad: the same automatic two-month extension to June 15, with interest still applying to late payments.
- Combat zone service members: generally at least 180 days after leaving the combat zone to file and pay.
- Taxpayers in federally declared disaster areas: additional time to file and pay, set by the IRS on a disaster-by-disaster basis.
How the deadline has landed in past years
| Tax year | Filed in | Extended filing deadline |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2024 | October 15, 2024 |
| 2024 | 2025 | October 15, 2025 |
| 2025 | 2026 | October 15, 2026 |
FAQ
Do I need a reason to request a tax extension? No. Form 4868 grants an automatic six-month extension with no explanation required, as long as it’s filed by the original April 15 deadline.
Does an extension give me more time to pay? No. It only extends the deadline to file your paperwork. Any tax owed is still due on the original April 15 date, and interest plus the failure-to-pay penalty apply to what’s left unpaid after that.
What if I’m out of the country on April 15? US citizens and resident aliens living and working abroad get an automatic two-month extension to file, to June 15, though payment is still due April 15 to avoid interest.
How late can extension filers go before facing a penalty? Most extension filers must file by October 15 to avoid a failure-to-file penalty. Some groups, including those in combat zones or federally declared disaster areas, get more time.
Set the extension deadline once
If you file Form 4868, add October 15 to LapseGuard as soon as you file it, so the extended deadline doesn’t sneak up the way the original one did. Free, on your device, no account.
Read next: Tax filing deadline 2026 and How are taxes due?
Sources
- About Form 4868 (IRS)
- If you need more time to file, request an extension (IRS)
- Get an extension to file your tax return (IRS)
- U.S. Citizens and Resident Aliens Abroad: Automatic Extension of Time to File (IRS)
- IRS reminds taxpayers who filed for extensions of the Oct. 15 deadline (IRS)
- Failure to pay penalty (IRS)