Form 4868 Application for Automatic Extension of Time To File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return

The form's instructions say to use Form 4868 to apply for 6 more months (4 if you are out of the country, as defined in the instructions, and a U.S. citizen or resident) to file Form 1040, 1040-SR, 1040-NR or 1040-SS. To qualify, the IRS says you must properly estimate your tax liability using the information available to you, enter your total tax liability on line 4, and file Form 4868 by the due date of your return. You do not have to explain why you are asking, and the IRS says it contacts you only if the request is denied. RepeatForm cannot tell you whether you need an extension.

The IRS is direct about this: Form 4868 does not extend the time to pay taxes. If you do not pay the amount due by the due date, you will owe interest and may be charged penalties. Any payment you make with the application is treated as a payment of tax. You are not required to pay the estimated amount with the form, but see the instructions on interest and the late payment penalty.

irs.gov lists three ways to request an automatic extension: pay online using an IRS payment option and check the box that the payment is part of filing for an extension, in which case you do not have to file a separate form and you get a confirmation number; use IRS Free File to request it electronically (no income limit for extensions); or file Form 4868 by mail, online with an IRS e-file partner, or through a tax professional. The form also says not to file Form 4868 if you want the IRS to figure your tax, or if you are under a court order to file your return by the due date. People living abroad and people affected by a disaster may have more time, per the IRS. This page covers the form only.

The PDF checked for this page is titled "Form 4868 2025", for tax year 2025. The About Form 4868 page on irs.gov links the current form and instructions. Each tax year has its own version. RepeatForm does not supply the blank form: get it from irs.gov.

The form is short. Part I is your identification: name or names, address, your SSN and your spouse's SSN. Part II is the individual income tax estimate: estimated total tax liability (line 4), total payments (line 5), balance due (line 6), and the amount you are paying with the form, followed by a few checkboxes for special situations described in the instructions. RepeatForm does not decide any amount: use the IRS instructions.