E-file Federal Tax Extension?

sac

Apr 11, 2015 at 11:44am Edited

I'm filing for extensions on our taxes and Turbotax does not provide e-filing capability for this. I found the New Jersey and New York web pages where you can e-file your extension for free, but I can't find anything like that for the Federal. They talk about "Free e-file" on the IRS website but I tried one of the links and got partway through and it told me that there is a $19.99 fee. Anyone know if there is an actual free (or minimal cost) e-file site? I'm hoping to avoid the whole certified mail tour at the Post Office if possible. I need to do this for each of my kids also, and I'm not really up to paying $60 to avoid the PO.

j_r

Apr 11, 2015 at 1:18pm Edited

I got an extension free with H & R Block software. (I'd entered info but hadn't yet paid.)

In my case, I filed my return and while I was filling out my college student's return, I realized too late that it would be to his advantage if I didn't claim him as a dependent.

jerseyjack

Apr 11, 2015 at 1:22pm

IRS.gov

on the left side of the page is extension of time, form 4868

irsefile is in the instructions

mkasloff

Apr 11, 2015 at 3:20pm Edited

For Federal extension, you actually have to use the free efile process, and start like you are filing a 1040. You are then given the option to request an extension. It confuses me every year.

http://www.irs.gov/uac/Free-File:-Do-Your-Federal-Taxes-for-Free

jerseyjack

Apr 11, 2015 at 6:25pm

You don't have to efile the extension. You can also print it out and snail mail it.

sac

Apr 11, 2015 at 6:27pm

I'm trying to avoid the Post Office (and certified mail fees and the like.). Plus, if you eFile, you get an immediate confirmation.

sac

Apr 15, 2015 at 12:11pm Edited

Updating this ...

The IRS itself does not provide any efiling capability (unlike the states - both NJ and NY have websites where you can file, pay, etc.) They do have a webpage with links to private companies that offer online tax prep and filing. These services are free to those under certain AGI (60,000 or less) and have various fees for others. Some of them DO offer free filing of extensions.

I ended up using TaxACT - https://www.taxact.com/. Their free account has a limitation of only one return, but since the extension info is fairly limited, I was able to file three separate federal extensions, one after another by overwriting the info. It took about 24 hours to receive the final confirmation emails, but I had carefully PDFed the submission pages and the initial confirmation screen that said it had been transmitted in each case, so that I would have an (electronic) "paper trail".

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