April 15 is just a few days away. Do you owe Uncle Sam and don't know how you're going to come up with the money? Are you wondering what to do if you don't have the money to pay the balance due?
Here's some helpful tips from the IRS:
People who owe taxes but can’t pay the full amount owed by the April deadline should still file their return on time and pay as much as they can to avoid penalties and interest. If you can’t pay the full amount, you should contact the IRS to ask about alternative payment options. Here are some of the alternative payment options you may want to consider:
1. Additional Time to Pay.
Based on your circumstances, you may be granted a short additional time to pay your tax in full. A brief additional amount of time to pay can be requested through the Online Payment Agreement application at IRS.gov or by calling 800-829-1040. Taxpayers who request and are granted an additional 30 to 120 days to pay the tax in full generally will pay less in penalties and interest than if the debt were repaid through an installment agreement over a greater period of time.
2. Installment Agreement.
You can apply for an IRS installment agreement using the Web-based Online Payment Agreement application on IRS.gov. This Web-based application allows taxpayers who owe $25,000 or less in combined tax, penalties and interestto self-qualify, apply for, and receive immediate notification of approval. You can also request an installment agreement before your current tax liabilities are actually assessed by using OPA. The OPA option provides you with a simple and convenient way to establish an installment agreement and eliminates the need for personal interaction with IRS and reduces paper processing. You may also complete and submit a Form 9465, make your request in writing, or call 1-800-829-1040 to make your request. For balances over $25,000, you are required to complete a financial statement to determine the monthly payment amount for an installment plan. For more complete information see Tax Topic 202, Tax Payment Options on http://www.irs.gov./
3. Pay by Credit Card or Debit Card.
You can charge your taxes on your American Express, MasterCard, Visa or Discover credit cards. Additionally, you can pay by using your debit card. However, the debit card must be a Visa Consumer Debit Card, or a NYCE, Pulse or Star Debit Card. To pay by credit card or debit card, contact one of the service providers at its telephone number or Web site listed below and follow the instructions. There is no IRS fee for credit or debit card payments, but the processing companies charge a convenience fee or flat fee. If you are paying by credit card, the service providers charge a convenience fee based on the amount you are paying. If you are paying by debit card, the service providers charge a flat fee of $3.89 to $3.95. Do not add the convenience fee or flat fee to your tax payment.
The processing companies are:
Official Payments Corporation
To pay by debit or credit card: 888-UPAY-TAX (888-872-9829)
www.officialpayments.com/fed
Link2Gov Corporation
To pay by debit or credit card: 888-PAY-1040 (888-729-1040)
www.pay1040.com
RBS WorldPay, Inc.
To pay by debit or credit card: 888-9PAY-TAX (888-972-9829)
www.payUSAtax.com
For more information about filing and paying your taxes, visit www.IRS.gov and choose 1040 Central or refer to the Form 1040 Instructions or IRS Publication 17, Your Federal Income Tax. You can download forms and publications at www.IRS.gov or request a free copy by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).
Monday, April 12, 2010
Friday, April 9, 2010
Everything You Need To Know About Filing An Extension
Top Five Reasons to File an Extension For Your Personal Tax Return
Looking for a reason for put off until October 15 what you can do on April 15? Do you need some encouragement to join America's largest group of procrastinators? Then read on to discover five good reasons to join millions of other loyal American taxpayers who legally file their tax return late, without any late filing penalties and without being harassed by the IRS.
Reason #1: It's free.
Of course, if you file Form 4868 by snail-mail, it will cost you a whopping 44 cents. If you e-file it, then it is free. You can use your own tax software program to e-file the extension, or check out the IRS FreeFile website here for e-filing options:
http://www.irs.gov/efile/article/0,,id=118986,00.html
Reason #2: It's automatic.
You don't have to have a good reason, a bad reason, or any reason at all. Just send in the form and that's all there is to it. No need to come up with some lame excuse like "My dog ate my W-2."
Reason #3: It's relaxing.
Remember how you've spent April 14 or April 15 in previous years? It's way past your bedtime, coffee pot still brewing, an opened bottle of Tylenol on top of your calculator, papers strewn all over your desk, receipts everywhere. Is this anyway to prepare your tax return? Of course not. Do you really need another source of stress in your life? File the extension and now imagine what you'll be doing on April 15 while thousands of frantic taxpayers are stuck in traffic at their local post office; instead, you'll be working in your garden or reading a good book, because you've got all summer to finish your return.
Reason #4: It's easy.
As tax forms go, this is one of the easiest tax forms to complete. You put in your name, address and social security number - and you are already halfway done! Only four more lines to go: an estimate of your 2009 tax liability, the total amount of 2009 tax payments (from W-2 or 1099 withholdings and/or quarterly estimated tax payments), any balance due, and the amount you are paying with the form. A tax form can't be any easier than that.
Reason #5: It's fast.
You can e-file Form 4868. Talk about fast! You push the Enter button on your keyboard and the data gets transmitted to the IRS in a nanosecond. You'll then receive an electronic confirmation from the IRS after the form has been processed and accepted. If you use a tax professional to prepare your return, he/she should be able to e-file the form for you, and since no signature is required on this form, getting it done quickly can take as little as a 5-minute phone call.
Filing an extension sounds too good to be true. What's the downside? Read on!
Are There Any Pitfalls To Avoid When Filing An Extension?
April 15 is fast approaching but there's no way you can get your personal income tax return done by then. What's a procrastinator to do? File an extension, of course.
But perhaps you are wondering whether this is the best option for you. Read on to find out.
You can automatically extend the April 15 due date to October 15 by filing Form 4868, "Application for Automatic Extension of Time To File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return." So now you have six more months to file your personal income tax return.
The nice thing about Form 4868 is that simply filing this form grants an automatic, no-questions-asked 6-month extension. You don't have to have a reason. Just sending this form to the IRS on or before April 15 gets you the extra six months.
But here's another important point about Form 4868: This 6-month extension is NOT an extension to pay any tax you may owe on the tax return. Form 4868 only grants an extension of time to file the tax return.
So, if you usually get a refund on your personal tax return, you are OK. But, if you think you might have a balance due, or if you are not sure, then you should go ahead and prepare the return to the best of your ability, do the calculations, and see where you stand.
If you are getting a refund, great. If you're not in a hurry to get the refund, then file the extension form and wait until October 15 to send in the return. But if you have a balance due on the return, then you should send in your balance due with Form 4868. That way you avoid any penalty and interest for late payment of tax.
When October 15 rolls around, you send in the return, showing the Form 4868 payment as a credit. The end result is this: you paid your tax on time (April 15), and you filed your tax return legally late (October 15) because you filed the extension form on time.
Obviously, the key here is whether or not you have a balance due on your return. If you have a balance due, but don't send in the payment with Form 4868, then you will have penalty and interest charges for paying the tax after April 15.
Bottom line: Do not overlook the fact that Form 4868 does not grant you an extension of time to pay the tax. It only gives you an extension of time to file the return.
Looking for a reason for put off until October 15 what you can do on April 15? Do you need some encouragement to join America's largest group of procrastinators? Then read on to discover five good reasons to join millions of other loyal American taxpayers who legally file their tax return late, without any late filing penalties and without being harassed by the IRS.
Reason #1: It's free.
Of course, if you file Form 4868 by snail-mail, it will cost you a whopping 44 cents. If you e-file it, then it is free. You can use your own tax software program to e-file the extension, or check out the IRS FreeFile website here for e-filing options:
http://www.irs.gov/efile/article/0,,id=118986,00.html
Reason #2: It's automatic.
You don't have to have a good reason, a bad reason, or any reason at all. Just send in the form and that's all there is to it. No need to come up with some lame excuse like "My dog ate my W-2."
Reason #3: It's relaxing.
Remember how you've spent April 14 or April 15 in previous years? It's way past your bedtime, coffee pot still brewing, an opened bottle of Tylenol on top of your calculator, papers strewn all over your desk, receipts everywhere. Is this anyway to prepare your tax return? Of course not. Do you really need another source of stress in your life? File the extension and now imagine what you'll be doing on April 15 while thousands of frantic taxpayers are stuck in traffic at their local post office; instead, you'll be working in your garden or reading a good book, because you've got all summer to finish your return.
Reason #4: It's easy.
As tax forms go, this is one of the easiest tax forms to complete. You put in your name, address and social security number - and you are already halfway done! Only four more lines to go: an estimate of your 2009 tax liability, the total amount of 2009 tax payments (from W-2 or 1099 withholdings and/or quarterly estimated tax payments), any balance due, and the amount you are paying with the form. A tax form can't be any easier than that.
Reason #5: It's fast.
You can e-file Form 4868. Talk about fast! You push the Enter button on your keyboard and the data gets transmitted to the IRS in a nanosecond. You'll then receive an electronic confirmation from the IRS after the form has been processed and accepted. If you use a tax professional to prepare your return, he/she should be able to e-file the form for you, and since no signature is required on this form, getting it done quickly can take as little as a 5-minute phone call.
Filing an extension sounds too good to be true. What's the downside? Read on!
Are There Any Pitfalls To Avoid When Filing An Extension?
April 15 is fast approaching but there's no way you can get your personal income tax return done by then. What's a procrastinator to do? File an extension, of course.
But perhaps you are wondering whether this is the best option for you. Read on to find out.
You can automatically extend the April 15 due date to October 15 by filing Form 4868, "Application for Automatic Extension of Time To File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return." So now you have six more months to file your personal income tax return.
The nice thing about Form 4868 is that simply filing this form grants an automatic, no-questions-asked 6-month extension. You don't have to have a reason. Just sending this form to the IRS on or before April 15 gets you the extra six months.
But here's another important point about Form 4868: This 6-month extension is NOT an extension to pay any tax you may owe on the tax return. Form 4868 only grants an extension of time to file the tax return.
So, if you usually get a refund on your personal tax return, you are OK. But, if you think you might have a balance due, or if you are not sure, then you should go ahead and prepare the return to the best of your ability, do the calculations, and see where you stand.
If you are getting a refund, great. If you're not in a hurry to get the refund, then file the extension form and wait until October 15 to send in the return. But if you have a balance due on the return, then you should send in your balance due with Form 4868. That way you avoid any penalty and interest for late payment of tax.
When October 15 rolls around, you send in the return, showing the Form 4868 payment as a credit. The end result is this: you paid your tax on time (April 15), and you filed your tax return legally late (October 15) because you filed the extension form on time.
Obviously, the key here is whether or not you have a balance due on your return. If you have a balance due, but don't send in the payment with Form 4868, then you will have penalty and interest charges for paying the tax after April 15.
Bottom line: Do not overlook the fact that Form 4868 does not grant you an extension of time to pay the tax. It only gives you an extension of time to file the return.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)