IRS Issues Tax Filing Request to Taxpayers Who Filed for Extensions

Those taxpayers have until Oct. 15 to file their taxes, the IRS said Friday.

A file photo of a 1040 form used by U.S. taxpayers to file an annual income tax return. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on Friday encouraged taxpayers who requested extensions for their 2024 federal tax returns to file them over the summer, rather than wait for the October deadline.

A news release issued by the IRS said that taxpayers are encouraged to file their returns “now rather than wait until the Oct. 15 deadline,” and suggested that people also use the Free File service if applicable.

“Filing over the summer helps avoid the fall rush and gives taxpayers more time to resolve issues or arrange payments, if needed,” the IRS added.

While most Americans have already filed their federal tax returns this year, some people filed for an extension beforehand, giving them a six-month delay to file their returns. The deadline to file for an extension is the same as Tax Day, April 15.

Those who requested an extension had to have either used IRS Free File or a private tax preparation service such as TurboTax, made an electronic payment, or mailed Form 4868 by the tax deadline.

Taxpayers still had to pay their taxes by the April 15 due date, even if they requested an extension. It only means that their return has to be filed by the October deadline.

There are instances when one does not need to file an extension request, and an automatic extension will be applied by the IRS. A common instance is when a natural disaster, such as a tornado, hurricane, flooding, or another extreme weather event, occurs.

The IRS usually sends out news releases announcing that in certain disaster areas,  taxpayers do not need to submit an extension electronically or on paper.

The IRS automatically identifies those taxpayers located in the covered disaster area and applies filing and payment relief.

This year, the IRS had extended the deadline in numerous states due to weather-related disasters. Every taxpayer in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and some parts of Alaska and New Mexico had until May 1 to file their returns and pay. The IRS also pushed back some deadlines until Sept. 25 for victims of last year’s Hurricane Helene in parts of North Carolina.

Meanwhile, people who were impacted by the devastating wildfires in California’s Los Angeles County earlier this year have until Oct. 15 to file their taxes and pay.

Some individuals in Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee have until Nov. 3 to file their returns and pay, as do certain individuals in several West Virginia counties, areas in Oklahoma, multiple counties in Missouri, areas in Mississippi, and parts of Texas.

The IRS announcement comes weeks after former Congressman Billy Long was sworn in as the IRS’s 51st commissioner, after being confirmed by the Senate earlier in June. Long said in a statement that he wants to make the agency a more taxpayer-friendly organization and seeks to “develop a new culture” within the IRS.

Reuters contributed to this report.