Am I reading it correctly that if I pay what I expect to owe through the EFTPS website, I don’t need to mail a form 4868 as well? I usually mail a check with that form so just making sure this will work too.
Get an extension when you make a payment
You can also get an extension by electronically paying all or part of your estimated income tax due and indicating the payment is for an extension. You can make a same day payment using online account services. A payment can be scheduled with Direct Pay using the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) or with a credit or debit card. If the indicator is selected when making your payment, you won’t have to file a separate extension form and you’ll receive a confirmation number for your records.
Pay Electronically
You don’t need to file Form 4868 if you make a payment using our
electronic payment options. The IRS will automatically process an
extension of time to file when you pay part or all of your estimated
income tax electronically. You can pay online or by phone. See
Making Payments Electronically, later.
Because submitting the payment is submitting the form.
I’ve never understood what an extension is for, anyways. If you’ve already paid what is going to be due (which you have to do when requesting the extention anyways), your penalty for filing late is 5% of $0 - there is no penalty for a late return that claims a refund.
The extension is for filing, not for payment. There is no penalty for filing late when you get the extension unless you file after the extension due date in October.
In order to figure out how much you owe and pay that amount with the extension, you need to complete your tax return. So what’s the point of asking for the extension and filing late if you’ve already completed it?
Late K1s and 1099 corrections after April, and amended returns are more of a PITA than extension + normal one by Oct. plus your estimate can just be made up for what you pay - just a guess weighing between late payment interest if you’re low vs delayed refund if your high.
Another choice is to make an electronic payment and select “extension” as the reason, which provides an automatic six-month extension without filing Form 4868, according to the IRS.
However, Loyd uses the first option to minimize the chance of mistakes or confusion. “If you file Form 4868, it’s very clear that you know exactly what you’re doing,” he added.
Dennis also suggests filing Form 4868 over the payment option, especially if clients later need proof that they did file an extension. “I have never been able to defend a late-filed return with someone saying they’ve gone online to pay,” she said.
Again, you’ll need to take separate steps to request more time to file your state tax returns, depending on where you live.
There’s no penalty for filing late if you dont owe anything, with or without an extension.
There is no penalty for filing a late return after the tax deadline if a refund is due.
The only scenario I can come up with where getting an extension has a purpose is if you end up underpaying your taxes; if you requested an extension, I believe you’d only be on the hook for late payment penalties and not late filing penalties.
You may be owed a refund even if you are not required to file (due to tax credits like EITC). You may even want to file if you aren’t required to file, owe nothing, and are not owed a refund (such as when electing to pay I-Bond interest annually instead of at maturity for a minor child). More importantly, nobody mentioned minimum income requirements – you steered off course here.