Taxpayers can get extension to Oct. 15 to file taxes

The Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers that they can have until Oct. 15 to file their taxes this year.

However,they must file for the extension by Wednesday, July 15, to get that extension, and taxes owed must be paid by Wednesday. The July 15 due date generally applies to all taxpayers who had an income tax filing or payment deadline on or after April 1, 2020, and before July 15. T

he IRS is encouraging taxpayers and tax professionals to file electronically. Those who file through e-file or IRS Free File can reduce tax return errors because the tax software does the calculations, flags common errors and prompts taxpayers for missing information.

Taxpayers who need additional time to file beyond the July 15 deadline can request a filing extension to Oct. 15 by filing Form 4868 through their tax professional, tax software or using Free File in IRS.gov.

As an alternative, they can submit an electronic payment and select Form 4868 or extension as the payment type. The automatic extension of time to file will process when taxpayers pay or or part of their taxes electronically by the July 15 due date.