File Form 4868 by April 15, 2024 (April 17, 2024, if you live in Maine or Massachusetts). Fiscal year taxpayers file Form 4868 by the original due date of the fiscal year return.
Taxpayers who are out of the country. If, on the regular due date
of your return, you’re out of the country (as defined below) and a U.S. citizen or resident, you’re allowed 2 extra months to file your return and pay any amount due without requesting an extension. Interest will still be charged, however, on payments made after the regular due date, without regard to the extension. If you’re out of the country and file a calendar year income tax return, you can pay the tax and file your return or this form by June 17, 2024. File this form and be sure to check the box on line 8 if you need an additional 4 months to file your return.
If you’re out of the country and a U.S. citizen or resident, you may qualify for special tax treatment if you meet the bona fide residence or physical presence test. If you don’t expect to meet either of those tests by the due date of your return, request an extension to a date after you expect to meet the tests by filing Form 2350, Application for Extension of Time To File U.S. Income Tax Return.
You’re out of the country if:
• You live outside the United States and Puerto Rico and your main place of work is outside the United States and Puerto Rico, or
• You’re in military or naval service on duty outside the United States and Puerto Rico.
If you qualify as being out of the country, you’ll still be eligible for the extension even if you’re physically present in the United States or Puerto Rico on the regular due date of the return.
For more information on extensions for taxpayers out of the
country, see Pub. 54, Tax Guide for U.S. Citizens and Resident Aliens Abroad.
Form 1040-NR filers. If you can’t file your return by the due date, you should file Form 4868. You must file Form 4868 by the regular due date of the return.
If you didn’t receive wages as an employee subject to U.S. income tax withholding, and your return is due June 17, 2024, check the box on line 9.
Total Time Allowed
Generally, we can’t extend the due date of your return for more than 6 months (October 15, 2024, for most calendar year taxpayers). However, there may be an exception if you’re living out of the country. See Pub. 54 for more information.
Filing Your Tax Return
You can file your tax return any time before the extension expires. Don’t attach a copy of Form 4868 to your return.
Interest
You’ll owe interest on any tax not paid by the regular due date of your return, even if you qualify for the 2-month extension because you were out of the country. The interest runs until you pay the tax. Even if you had a good reason for not paying on time, you will still owe interest.
Late Payment Penalty
The late payment penalty is usually ½ of 1% of any tax (other than estimated tax) not paid by the regular due date of your return, which is April 15, 2024, for most people. It’s charged for each month or part of a month the tax is unpaid. The maximum penalty is 25%. The late payment penalty won’t be charged if you can show reasonable cause for not paying on time. Attach a statement to your return fully explaining the reason. Don’t attach the statement to Form 4868.
You’re considered to have reasonable cause for the period covered by this automatic extension if both of the following requirements have been met.
1. At least 90% of the total tax on your 2023 return is paid on or before the regular due date of your return through withholding, estimated tax payments, or payments made with Form 4868.
2. The remaining balance is paid with your return.
Late Filing Penalty
A late filing penalty is usually charged if your return is filed after the due date (including extensions). The penalty is usually 5% of the amount due for each month or part of a month your return is late. The maximum penalty is 25%. If your return is more than 60 days late, the minimum penalty is $485 (adjusted for inflation) or the balance of the tax due on your return, whichever is smaller. You might not owe the penalty if you have a reasonable explanation for filing late. Attach a statement to your return fully explaining your reason for filing late. Don’t attach the statement to Form 4868.
How To Claim Credit for Payment Made With This
Form
When you file your 2023 return, include the amount of any payment you made with Form 4868 on the appropriate line of your tax return. The instructions for the following line of your tax return will tell you how to report the payment.
• Form 1040, 1040-SR, or 1040-NR, Schedule 3, line 10.
• Form 1040-SS, Part I, line 12.
If you and your spouse each filed a separate Form 4868 but later file a joint return for 2023, enter the total paid with both Forms 4868 on the appropriate line of your joint return. If you and your spouse jointly file Form 4868 but later file separate returns for 2023, you can enter the total amount paid with Form 4868 on either of your separate returns. Or you and your spouse can divide the payment in any agreed amounts.