Fill out Form 4868 free
Six short steps in plain English. We fill in the IRS PDF in your browser and show you where to mail it. No account, no cost, and nothing you type leaves this page.
The 2026 Form 4868 isn't out yet
The free form can file a 2026 extension as soon as the IRS posts the 2026 Form 4868, usually in December or January. Your 2026 extension is due April 15, 2027. Until then, the free form works only for fiscal years that began in 2025.
- Single, joint, separate or nonresident. We set up the form for how you file.
- Your due dates, including the June 15 rules for people abroad and 1040-NR filers.
- The math done for you: your balance due, with a heads-up if you owe.
- The filled IRS PDF, ready to print. No signature needed.
- The exact IRS address for your state, with or without a payment.
- Your SSN stays here. Never saved, never sent, erased after download.
You print it and mail it to the IRS.
Two more ways the IRS lets you extend
- Pay online and mark it as an extension. If you owe, pay all or part of it with IRS Direct Pay, your IRS online account, EFTPS, or a debit or credit card, and choose extension as the reason. The IRS processes the extension automatically, so you don't file Form 4868. How it works.
- IRS Free File. Free File partners e-file Form 4868 for free, and the IRS says there's no income limit for extensions. How to use it.
Sources: 2025 Form 4868 and instructions (PDF), Get an extension to file your tax return, IRS.gov.
Mail it or e-file it: what's the difference?
Both get your extension to the IRS. The free form here is filled out by you and mailed by you. E-filing sends it electronically.
| Fill out free, print and mail | E-file | |
|---|---|---|
| How it reaches the IRS | You mail it | Sent electronically |
| On time if | Postmarked by the due date | Sent by the due date, in your time zone |
| Proof the IRS got it | Your mailing receipt. The IRS doesn't confirm paper extensions; it writes only if your request is denied | An electronic acknowledgment |
| Help along the way | Plain-English help on every line here | A guided flow and customer support from the e-file provider |
| Fiscal-year filers | Yes. Fiscal-year filers must file on paper | No |
Short on time and want to e-file instead? Our partner TaxExtension.com e-files Form 4868. E-file with TaxExtension.com (opens in a new tab)
If you choose to e-file, you'll go to our partner TaxExtension.com. We may receive compensation from that partner.