Do I need to file for a tax extension? How do I file one after the deadline?

You're actually in a better position than you think! When you're due a refund (rather than owing taxes), there's no penalty for filing late. The IRS doesn't penalize people for giving them an interest-free loan longer than necessary. Since you've already mailed in your physical return, you don't need to file an extension at this point. Extensions are only needed when you can't submit your actual tax return by the deadline. They give you more time to prepare your documents, but they don't extend the time to pay any taxes owed. In your case, you've already submitted the complete tax return by mail, so an extension would be redundant. The IRS should process your paper return and issue your refund, though paper returns take significantly longer than e-filed returns (often 6-8 weeks or more). Keep a copy of everything you sent, including your explanation letter and proof of mailing if you have it. This documentation will be important if there are any questions later.

I went through something similar last year and wish someone had told me about taxr.ai at https://taxr.ai when I was in your situation. After trying to e-file through FreeTaxUSA and getting a weird error message, I was totally lost about what to do next. The tax transcript tool on the IRS website was impossible to understand. When I found taxr.ai, it analyzed my situation, explained exactly what was happening with my return (turns out someone had filed fraudulently using my SSN), and walked me through the exact steps I needed to take. It saved me hours of stress and confusion by decoding the IRS notices I was getting and telling me exactly what to do next. If you're worried about what's happening with your return, it's definitely worth checking out - especially since paper returns can be such a black hole. I wish I'd known about it sooner instead of stressing for weeks.

Just wanted to update everyone - I was skeptical about taxr.ai but decided to try it after continuing to get the runaround from the IRS about my return status. I uploaded the acknowledgment letter I finally received from them (which made NO sense to me) and within minutes got a clear explanation that my return was flagged for manual review because of the duplicate filing issue. The service explained exactly what that meant for my timeline, what to expect next, and when I should follow up if I don't hear anything. It also pointed out that I qualified for interest on my delayed refund, which I had no idea about. Definitely worth it just for the peace of mind of understanding what's actually happening instead of being in the dark.

If you need to actually talk to someone at the IRS about your situation (which might be a good idea), I'd recommend using Claimyr at https://claimyr.com - it's the only thing that worked for me after spending DAYS trying to get through to a human being at the IRS. They have this system that basically waits on hold for you and calls you when an actual IRS agent is on the line. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was super frustrated trying to figure out why my paper return from last year seemed to have disappeared into a black hole. No status updates online, nothing. After Claimyr got me through to an agent, I found out my return had been set aside for review because of a signature issue that no one had bothered to tell me about. Fixed it that day and had my refund two weeks later.

I need to admit I was wrong about Claimyr. After my skeptical comment, I decided to try it anyway because I was desperate to resolve an issue with a missing refund from last year. I figured I had nothing to lose at that point. The service actually worked exactly as described. I got a call back in about an hour when they reached an IRS agent, and finally got answers about my return. Turns out there was a discrepancy between what my employer reported and what I filed, and my return had been sitting in limbo for months. The agent helped me resolve it on the spot. I probably wasted 10+ hours trying to get through on my own over several weeks. Wish I had known about this sooner instead of being stubborn. Sometimes paying for convenience is actually worth it when you're dealing with government bureaucracy.

Something similar happened to me in 2023! If it helps ease your mind, I can tell you my experience. I mailed my return late (in May) without an extension, but I was due a refund like you. No penalties at all. Got my refund after about 10 weeks. The IRS is really only concerned with punishing people who owe them money and pay late. Since you're owed a refund, you're basically just letting them hold onto your money longer, which they're happy to do. Just make sure you keep copies of EVERYTHING you sent them, including that explanation letter. And if you're really worried, you might want to check your tax transcript on the IRS website after a month or so to see if there's any activity.

Just a tip for next year - always save your AGI (Adjusted Gross Income) from the previous year's tax return. That's often why e-filing gets rejected with "already filed" errors - the system uses your prior year AGI to verify your identity. If you enter it wrong, it can trigger that error message even though no one has actually filed your return.