If you’re in the military and overseas, you have an extension on the date you must file your taxes by.
Here at RapidTax, we salute all the brave men and women serving our country. We also all military personnel to understand the military tax advantages.
Serving in the military is far from easy. The last thing on your mind is taxes. Luckily, the IRS offers a few tax extensions for military personnel. These tax extensions are offered to the following military personnel;
- overseas active duty
- combat zone
That means, if you fall within one of the two categories above, you won’t be required to file your taxes by the April 15th tax deadline. Additonally, there are other tax credits you may be eligible for. RapidTax is here to help you save time and money when filing!
Overseas Personnel
If you serve outside of the United States or Puerto Rico and you’re on assignment during the tax deadline (April 15), you are granted an automatic two-month filing extension to file.
That means, you have until June 15 to file your taxes. However, you do not have an extension to pay your taxes and must pay your tax liability by the April 15 deadline.
If you don’t think you’ll be able to file your taxes by the June 15 deadline, you can file an extension. The extension is for six months, allowing you until October 15 to file. Like the two month extension, the extended deadline only allows you extra time to file your taxes and you are still required to pay your tax due by the April 15 due date.
Combat Zone Personnel
If you serve in a combat zone, you can defer filing and paying your taxes until 180 days after the end of active duty in the service zone.
If you are hospitalized due to injury or disease from your service in a combat zone, there extension is 180 days after the last day of hospitalization.
If you’re filing jointly, this combat zone extension also applies to your spouse.
What Forms You’ll Need to Fill Out
Extensions for combat zone and overseas soldiers are granted automatically but you’ll still need to fill out and submit a form to the IRS.
Combat Zone: If you are claiming the 180-day filing and paying extension, contact the IRS to let them know. Alternatively, you can contact them at combatzone@irs.gov.
Overseas: If you’re out of the country during tax day, file Form 4868 for a six month extension.
File with RapidTax & We’ll Help You With the Rest
In addition to receiving an extension on your tax return, there are other tax perks for military personnel. For example, certain military compensation and benefits are not subject to federal income taxes.
The RapidTax application is designed to look for all military credits and deductions possible. We’re here to help you save time and money. To get started, simply create an account.
Thank you for serving our country! As always, our tax team is standing by via phone, chat and email to help!
Photo via The U.S Army on Flickr
