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Guide · Tax forms

How to file a tax extension with Form 4868

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Short answer

To get an automatic six-month extension for your 2026 Form 1040, do one of three things by April 15, 2027: pay all or part of your estimated tax electronically and mark it as an extension payment, e-file Form 4868 through tax software, a tax professional or Free File, or mail a paper Form 4868. Your return is then due October 15, 2027. The extension covers filing only: tax not paid by April 15, 2027 accrues interest and usually a late payment penalty.

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Three ways to get the extension

Form 4868 gives individuals six more months to file Form 1040, 1040-SR, 1040-NR or 1040-SS. You don't need to give a reason; the form says the IRS will contact you only if your request is denied. Use one of these routes by April 15, 2027 for a 2026 return.

  1. 1

    Pay electronically and mark it as an extension

    Pay with IRS Direct Pay, your IRS online account, EFTPS, a debit or credit card, or a digital wallet, and indicate the payment is for an extension. The IRS processes the extension automatically and you don't file Form 4868. Keep the confirmation number.

  2. 2

    E-file Form 4868

    Use tax software, a tax professional who e-files, or Free File, through which several companies offer free e-filing of Form 4868. You'll be asked for information from your prior-year return, and you get an electronic acknowledgment to keep.

  3. 3

    Mail a paper Form 4868

    Fill in the form, enclose a payment if you're making one, and mail it to the IRS address in the table on page 4 of the form, which depends on your state and whether you're paying. Fiscal year taxpayers must use the paper form.

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Filling out the form

  1. 1

    Lines 1–3: who you are

    Your name and address; for a joint return, both names in the order they'll appear on it. Line 2 is the SSN you'll show first and line 3 your spouse's. A new address here doesn't update IRS records; use Form 8822 for that.

  2. 2

    Line 4: estimated total tax

    The total tax you expect on your return (line 24 of Form 1040, 1040-SR or 1040-NR on the 2025 form), or -0-. Make it as accurate as you can: if the IRS finds the estimate wasn't reasonable, the extension is null and void.

  3. 3

    Line 5: payments so far

    Withholding, estimated payments and other payments you expect to report. Don't include the amount you're paying with this form.

  4. 4

    Line 6: balance due

    Line 4 minus line 5, or -0- if line 5 is larger.

  5. 5

    Line 7: amount you're paying

    You get the extension even if you pay nothing, but paying as much as you can limits interest and the late payment penalty.

  6. 6

    Lines 8–9: special cases

    Check line 8 if you're a U.S. citizen or resident who is out of the country on the due date. Check line 9 if you file Form 1040-NR, had no wages subject to U.S. income tax withholding, and your return is due June 15.

More time to file is not more time to pay

Interest runs on any tax not paid by April 15, 2027, extension or not, until you pay it. The late payment penalty is usually ½ of 1% of the unpaid tax for each month or part of a month, up to 25%. If you also miss the extended deadline, the late filing penalty is usually 5% of the amount due per month, up to 25%, with a minimum penalty once a return is more than 60 days late.

You're considered to have reasonable cause for paying late during the extension if at least 90% of your total tax was paid by the regular due date, through withholding, estimated payments or payments with Form 4868, and you pay the rest with your return. When you file, claim the extension payment on your return; on the 2025 forms that's Schedule 3, line 10.

Abroad, nonresidents and fiscal years

U.S. citizens and residents who live and work outside the United States and Puerto Rico, or who are on military duty outside them, get 2 extra months automatically: for a 2026 return, until June 15, 2027, to file and pay. Interest still runs from April 15. For more time, file Form 4868 by June 15, 2027 and check line 8 to get 4 more months, to October 15, 2027. If you're waiting to meet the bona fide residence or physical presence test, the extension form is Form 2350 instead.

Form 1040-NR filers who had no wages subject to U.S. withholding have a June 15, 2027 due date; file Form 4868 by then and check line 9. Fiscal year taxpayers file a paper Form 4868 by the due date of their fiscal year return. If you were affected by a federally declared disaster, you may have more time; see irs.gov/DisasterRelief.

Fill it out with PDFBetter

Open Form 4868 from PDFBetter's tax form library (pdfbetter.com/forms/us/irs/4868/), which loads the IRS PDF in Fill PDF. Until the IRS posts the 2026 edition, usually in December or January, irs.gov carries the 2025 form, which is for 2025 returns; for a 2026 extension, use the 2026 form once it's out or request the extension electronically. Type lines 1–9, download with a free account, print, and mail it by April 15, 2027. Keep a copy, and don't attach it to your return later.

The form has no signature line. PDFBetter doesn't e-file Form 4868 and doesn't take tax payments; if you'd rather not mail anything, use IRS e-file or an electronic payment marked as an extension. The form's instructions control; this guide is a general explanation, not tax advice.

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Questions people ask

Does Form 4868 give me more time to pay?

No. The form says it doesn't extend the time to pay. You'll owe interest on tax not paid by April 15, 2027, and usually a late payment penalty unless you have reasonable cause.

I e-filed Form 4868. Should I also mail the paper form?

No, unless you're paying by check or money order. Otherwise the form says not to mail it after filing electronically.

Can I get the extension without paying anything?

Yes. Line 7 can be zero and you still get the extension, but interest and the late payment penalty run on what you owe from April 15.

What if my line 4 estimate turns out to be wrong?

The extension holds if the estimate was reasonable with the information you had; if the IRS finds it wasn't, the extension is null and void. Any difference is settled on your return.

Do I sign Form 4868?

No. It has no signature line. Your return still needs a signature; on paper, sign Form 1040 by hand.

Does it also extend my gift tax return?

Yes. An extension for your calendar-year income tax return also extends Form 709 or 709-NA for the same year, but not the time to pay gift and generation-skipping transfer tax; Form 8892 covers that payment.