File your income tax extension before the April 18th income tax deadline

Consider filing a tax extension and do it online for free!

The few short days remaining before the tax deadline may not be long enough for you to get your records in order, especially if they involve such delicate matters as testimonials. In that case, you should file an extension. This is because you absolutely want to avoid the failure to file penalty as it is the most onerous. You can file a tax extension online for free right here.

Even if you don’t believe you owe any taxes, and therefore would suffer no penalty for late filing, it is strongly advisable to opt for an extension, because if it turns out you’re wrong it will cost you dearly. The penalty for late filing is 5% of the tax balance due per month up to a maximum of 25%. Filing a tax extension online will push your tax deadline forward six months to October 17th and exempt you from the penalty.

If you have a tax liability and owe the IRS money but are unable to pay in full a tax extension will also give you some breathing room to save the needed cash. However, note that you will still incur the penalty for late payment of taxes unless you can demonstrate reasonable cause to the IRS for not paying on time. The penalty for late payment is 0.5% of the amount owed for each month from the deadline until the tax is paid in full. You can avoid it by paying at least 90% of your tax liability.

In addition, the IRS will charge you interest monthly on the total owed until the tax is paid in full. The rate of interest is currently posted at 4% annually and is open to change quarterly. Note that irrespective of whether you’re exempt from the late payment penalty you will still be billed interest.