IRS Tax Tip 2018-106, July 11, 2018 The deadline for taxpayers who requested an extension to file their 2017 tax return is Monday, October 15, 2018. For taxpayers who have not yet filed there is no need to panic, many helpful IRS resources are available on IRS.gov including: IRS Free File. Taxpayers with yearly income of $66,000 or less can file using free brand-name tax software. Those who earned more can use Free File Fillable Forms, the electronic version of IRS paper forms. Either way, everyone has a free e-file option. Filing electronically is the easiest, safest and most accurate way to file taxes. Interactive Tax Assistant and IRS Tax Map. These tools can answer many common tax questions. Directory of Tax Return Preparers. For taxpayers who don’t want to do their own taxes, this tool can help find a tax professional in their area. Where’s My Refund? Taxpayers can check the status of their refund within 24 hours after the IRS has received their e-filed return. Those who file a paper return can check the refund status four weeks after mailing it. Once the IRS approves a refund, the tool will give the taxpayer a date by which to expect it. The IRS updates refund statuses for the tool once a day. These resources are all also available through the IRS2Go app. Taxpayers should keep copies of tax returns and all supporting documents for at least three years. Taxpayers can file earlier, but should file by October 15 to avoid a potential late filing penalty. Remember, an extension to file is not an extension to pay. Penalties and Interest might apply if taxpayers owed taxes and did not pay in a timely manner. The IRS offers a variety of ways for taxpayers to pay their taxes, including IRS Direct Pay. Subscribe to IRS Tax Tips
