Where to Mail Your Form 4868 Tax Extension?

Form 4868 serves as an application for an automatic extension of time to file a U.S. individual income tax return. This form grants taxpayers an additional six months to submit their federal income tax return to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Completing Form 4868

Before submitting an extension request, individuals need to gather specific information to accurately complete Form 4868. This form requires basic taxpayer identification details, including your full name, current mailing address, and Social Security number (SSN). If filing a joint return, both spouses’ names and SSNs must be included.

The form also requires an estimation of your total tax liability for the tax year. This estimate should reflect your expected total income tax, taking into account all sources of income, deductions, and credits. Next, you must report the total payments already made towards your tax liability for the year, which includes amounts withheld from paychecks and any estimated tax payments you have submitted.

After calculating your estimated total tax liability and accounting for payments already made, you will determine the amount of tax due, if any, that you plan to pay with the extension. If your payments exceed your estimated tax liability, you would enter zero for the amount due. Form 4868 can be obtained directly from the IRS website or through various tax preparation software programs. The form does not require a signature, date, or a reason for the extension request.

Submitting Your Extension Request

Once Form 4868 is completed, taxpayers have several options for submission, with the appropriate method often depending on whether a payment is being included. One common approach is to mail the completed form directly to the IRS. The specific mailing address for Form 4868 depends on your state of residence and whether you are enclosing a payment with your extension request.

For taxpayers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, or Texas: if you are including a payment, mail your Form 4868 to Internal Revenue Service, P.O. Box 1302, Charlotte, NC 28201-1302. If you are not making a payment, send it to Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service Center, Austin, TX 73301-0045.

Residents of Arizona or New Mexico who are making a payment should mail to Internal Revenue Service, P.O. Box 802503, Cincinnati, OH 45280-2503. Without a payment, use Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service Center, Austin, TX 73301-0045.

For those in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wisconsin: submit your payment with Form 4868 to Internal Revenue Service, P.O. Box 931300, Louisville, KY 40293-1300. If no payment is included, the address is Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service Center, Kansas City, MO 64999-0045.

Taxpayers in Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, or Wyoming should mail payments with Form 4868 to Internal Revenue Service, P.O. Box 802503, Cincinnati, OH 45280-2503. If no payment is made, send it to Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service Center, Ogden, UT 84201-0045.

Electronic filing offers another convenient method for submitting Form 4868. Individuals can e-file their extension request through various avenues, including tax preparation software programs, a tax professional, or by utilizing IRS e-file services. The IRS Free File program also provides options for eligible taxpayers to file Form 4868 electronically at no cost. When filing electronically, you typically receive an immediate electronic acknowledgment confirming your submission.

Furthermore, an extension to file can be automatically granted without submitting Form 4868 if you make an electronic payment for your estimated taxes by the original due date. This can be done through IRS Direct Pay, the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS), or by credit/debit card, or digital wallet. When making such a payment, you simply indicate that the payment is for an extension, and the IRS automatically processes the extension request. This method effectively eliminates the need to file a separate Form 4868.

After Filing Your Extension

Once your extension request has been submitted, it is important to keep accurate records of the submission. If you filed electronically, retain the confirmation number provided by the IRS or your tax software. If you mailed a paper Form 4868, obtain proof of mailing, such as a certificate of mailing or certified mail receipt.

It is crucial to remember that receiving an extension to file your tax return does not extend the deadline for paying any taxes owed. Any unpaid tax liability from the original due date will still accrue interest and may be subject to penalties, such as a failure-to-pay penalty. If you anticipate owing taxes, pay as much as you can by the original deadline to minimize these additional charges.

For most individual taxpayers, filing Form 4868 automatically extends the filing deadline to October 15 of the same year. Taxpayers who are out of the country on the original due date generally receive an automatic two-month extension, and filing Form 4868 can provide an additional four months beyond that period.