We know–it happens. You have every intention of providing us your tax information in February, but time slips and it’s now March (for business returns) or April (for personal returns). What to do?
If you are an existing client, please send us a brief request by email. We will acknowledge it and file an extension for you with IRS. Please do not assume that we will file an extension unless you receive an acknowledgement from us. Also, please understand that the IRS treats extension requests as the taxpayer’s responsibility rather than the tax preparer’s. We provide extension filings as a courtesy to clients, but the ultimate responsibility to file a timely return is yours.
Also, remember that an extension of time to file a return is not an extension of time to pay any tax due. The tax authorities expect their money by the due date (April 15 for individuals) and will penalize taxpayers who pay any tax after that date. Thus, if you expect to owe tax, you should pay an estimate of that balance with the extension filing.
If you are a potential client, you may contact us to see if we can obtain an extension for you. However, please understand that we are busy with current client matters and so may not be able obtain an extension on short notice. In that event, you will need to file the extension yourself. Don’t worry–it’s not difficult. he IRS has all of the tools you need here: https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/extension-of-time-to-file-your-tax-return.
