The deadline to submit your federal tax returns for 2025 is April 15, 2025. If you think you will not be able to submit your tax returns before this day, you can ask for an extension but you have to do that before the deadline. Avoiding tax penalties and interest is the reason you need to know tax extension deadlines.
You need to remember that an extension does not give you an extension to pay your taxes. Understanding the policies, rules, and noteworthy dates will help you avoid penalties.
You can ask for an extension and submit Form 4868 to the IRS. As long as you file and pay for the form by April 15, 2025, the deadline is automatically set to October 15, 2025.
Keep in mind that this does not mean you have until October 15 to pay your taxes. All taxes due must be paid by April 15. If you do not pay by that time, you will have to pay penalties as well as increasing interest by the time October arrives.
You can submit a tax extension for the year 2025 in the following three ways:
Once you’ve downloaded the form, completed it and attached the required documentation, payment can be made by credit card or IRS Direct Pay.
The extension will automatically be granted if certain conditions are met, US citizens and residents from mainland USA and Puerto Rico will have until the 16th of June 2025 to file the extension without the requirement of interest starting to accrue from the 15th of April. This is provided you are still residing outside the country on the 15th of April and the location is not a part of Puerto Rico.
If your region has been declared a disaster zone by the IRS, you are entitled to additional filing and payment deadlines. An example of this would be the residents of California who have been impacted by the wildfires, automatically having relief on the payment deadlines until the mid-October range, which no prior request required. The IRS automatically extends these deadlines.
Not understanding the difference between filing and paying can be expensive.
The rule of thumb is, you can extend taxes, but to minimize penalties, prepay as much as possible by April 15 for extensions.
If you’re not ready to file your 2025 tax return, don’t panic. Filing an extension by April 15, 2025 is straightforward and gives you until October 15 to get your documents in order.
Remember: the extension buys you more time to file, not to pay. To avoid costly interest and penalties, estimate and pay your taxes by April 15—even if you’re still pulling your paperwork together.
If you’re an expat, living in a disaster-affected area, or juggling complex filings across multiple states, consider working with a qualified tax advisor to stay compliant and avoid IRS penalties.
