April 15, 2013, a single very important date for tax filers all around. This is the last day to have your Federal Taxes postmarked to be considered on time. But what do you do when you don't have all of your tax paperwork? The IRS has a form for you - Form 4868. Form 4868 official name is the Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return.
Form 4868 is to be filled out to give yourself an additional six months to complete and file your taxes, which will be due October 15, 2013. By filling out this form, you will avoid the IRS late penalty fee. You must estimate that amount and send that in by April 15, 2013. The form is simple to complete. It contains two parts, Identification and Individual Income Tax.
Part I: Identification
The identification section is self explanatory. You must input your name, address, social security number and a spouse's social security number if filing joint.
Part II: Individual Income Tax
The purpose of this section is to estimate any amount due to the IRS. If you owe, they are looking for the amount in full or the most you can pay on that. You must be cautious though because the IRS will make the extension null and void if your estimate is wrong and they feel the estimate was not reasonable.
If you find you are not able to have your form postmarked by April 15, you may always go online and e-file your return. You will have until midnight to file. You may also submit your credit card information to process your payment online. This form however does not give you an extension to pay any amount of money owed.
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