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How to File a Federal Tax Extension

Are you struggling to finish your taxes by the April deadline? Don’t fret, it happens to the best of us. Instead of driving yourself crazy searching for important forms and information, you may want to file for an IRS tax extension. Here’s a short explanation on how to do just that.

File Online
The quickest way to file for an IRS tax extension is to head online. There are companies that can help you with your tax extension issues. One such company is FileLater. They can help you with forms you need and any tax payments you need to make.

Filling out the form itself is fairly easy. They need your personal information like name, address, and Social Security Number. Next, you give an estimate of what your tax liability would be for 2011. They will use this to calculate how much of a penalty you’ll owe. If you owe taxes, there will be a penalty whether you file for a tax extension or not. However, the penalties for not filing for an IRS tax extension (and not filing) are much worse.

In Print Form
If you’d rather submit your tax extension through the mail, you can get the form off the Internet as well. Try googling for “Form 4868.” This is the official name for the tax extension form. Several websites should come up with the form you need.

Simply print this out and fill it out just the same as listed above. It should take just a few minutes to do. Then send it in as soon as possible to the IRS so as to not incur any further penalties.

Some local businesses and government offices should also carry the form if you don’t want to print it out. The post office or the library is a good place to check. If you can’t find it there, locate your local tax office and see if they have Form 4868. Just be sure to file for an IRS tax extension before the April deadline.


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