What Is the 1041 Extended Due Date?

Fiduciaries responsible for trusts and estates use IRS Form 1041, the U.S. Income Tax Return for Estates and Trusts, to report income, deductions, and distributions. This form is a yearly obligation for domestic estates with income of $600 or more and for domestic trusts with any taxable income or a non-resident alien beneficiary. For entities operating on a standard calendar year, the deadline to file this return and pay any associated taxes is typically April 15th.

The Automatic Extension and New Deadline

Fiduciaries who need more time to file Form 1041 can receive an automatic extension. By properly requesting it, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) grants a 5.5-month extension, moving the filing deadline from April 15th to September 30th for calendar-year filers. This extension is considered “automatic” because the IRS does not require a specific reason for the request. This extended period provides fiduciaries additional time to gather necessary documents or to complete complex calculations. It is important to recognize that this extension of time to file does not translate into an extension of time to pay any taxes that are owed.

Information Required to File for an Extension

To secure the filing extension, a fiduciary must use Form 7004, Application for Automatic Extension of Time To File Certain Business Income Tax, Information, and Other Returns. The fiduciary must provide their own name and address, along with the official name and Employer Identification Number (EIN) of the trust or estate, and indicate the tax year for the request. A significant part of Form 7004 involves calculating a preliminary tax liability. The fiduciary must make a good-faith estimate of the estate’s or trust’s total tax for the year and report this on the form. The form then requires the filer to total all tax payments already made, which includes any estimated tax payments or credits, to determine the balance due.

How to Submit the Extension Request

After completing Form 7004, the fiduciary can submit it either electronically through the IRS Modernized e-File (MeF) platform or by mailing a paper copy. The addresses for mailing are listed in the official instructions for Form 7004. The submission must be made by the original due date of the tax return, which is April 15th for most filers. The balance due, which was calculated on Form 7004, must be paid in full by the original April 15th deadline to avoid penalties and interest charges. Payments can be made electronically using systems like the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) or IRS Direct Pay, or a check or money order can be mailed along with the paper Form 7004.