Do I Have to Give the IRS a Reason for My Tax Extension?
If you're considering filing for a personal or business tax extension this year, you might be wondering how the IRS feels about it.

It's a reasonable question--government agencies, lenders, landlords, credit cars all penalize late payments. However, if you fill out the proper paperwork on time, the IRS will automatically grant you a six month-extension--and you don't have to give them a reason. In addition, some tax experts think that filing a tax extension actually lowers your chances of being audited. IRS agents have audit quotas to fill, but most of them do so well before the fall deadline for extended tax returns.

What Do I Need a Tax Extension For?
You might think that tax extensions are just for people who aren't on top of things, but you'd be surprised how often life gets in the way of getting your paperwork done! Consider just a few possible situations:

  • Maybe a business partner, contractor or client failed to provide you with the proper tax forms in time for you to get your return in order.

  • Perhaps you've had some major life changes that give you new tax status. If you've gotten married or divorced, had a child or perhaps taken an ailing parent as a dependent, it may take some extra time to re-evaluate your tax liability.

  • Maybe you were planning to handle your taxes yourself but it got too complicated, and suddenly it's too late to get a reputable accountant.

  • Maybe you thought you'd try out some of that new online tax software, and it didn't quite work for you.

  • OK, maybe you're just not on top of things. That's not against the law!

Just remember: The IRS doesn't care why you need a tax extension. As long as you correctly fill out Form 4868 (for individuals) and/or Form 7004 (for businesses) and submit them on time, the IRS will grant your extension, no questions asked.

Now that you've decided to file one, what's the easiest way to get it done? TaxExtension.org recommends our partner FileLater.com, an online tax extension service that takes only a few minutes. You enter some basic personal or business information into their secure server and, as an authorized IRS E-File Provider, they will take care of the rest.

FileLater will notify you when your extension has been accepted by the IRS, and if for any reason it's rejected, they'll tell you why and let you re-file for free.

This is one tax task that's easy to get done. File a tax extension online today.