If I file an extension but don't hear back by April 15th midnight deadline, what happens?

Don't stress! As long as you submitted your extension request BEFORE the April 15th deadline, you're protected even if you don't receive confirmation by midnight. The extension request (Form 4868) is considered "filed" when you submit it, not when the IRS acknowledges it. What matters most is that you've paid (or arranged to pay) your estimated tax liability. The extension only gives you extra time to file the paperwork, not extra time to pay what you owe. Since you've set up payment through TurboTax, you should be fine regarding penalties. Keep in mind that penalties are separately calculated for filing late and paying late. The extension prevents the filing penalty (which is steeper), but you still need to pay your estimated taxes by April 15th to avoid the payment penalty.

After dealing with similar anxiety last year, I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which really helped me navigate the extension process. I was confused about whether my extension would be processed in time and what would happen to my payment. Their document analysis tool looked at my extension confirmation and payment details and clearly explained my status. It confirmed exactly what would happen with my payment timing and when I could expect confirmation. They even analyzed my previous tax returns to make sure my estimated payment was sufficient to avoid penalties.

I was really worried about my extension timing last year so I tried taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here. Honestly, it was way more helpful than I expected! I uploaded my extension confirmation and bank payment details, and it immediately explained that my filing was considered complete upon submission, not acceptance. The tool confirmed my extension was valid even without IRS confirmation and showed exactly what would happen with my payment timing. It even calculated my risk of penalties based on my estimated payment versus what I would actually owe. Saved me a bunch of stress and a phone call to the IRS that would've taken hours. Pretty impressive how it could interpret all my documents and give me a straight answer.

If you're still anxious about your extension status and need confirmation from the IRS directly, Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) saved me last tax season. I was in exactly your situation - filed an extension last minute and needed to confirm it was received. After trying for hours to reach the IRS myself, I used Claimyr and got connected to an IRS agent in under 20 minutes. They confirmed my extension was in their system even though I hadn't received the official acceptance yet. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - they basically hold your place in the IRS phone queue and call you when an agent is available.

I was totally skeptical about Claimyr last tax season when I was in the same situation with an extension, but I was desperate after trying to call the IRS for three days straight. I finally gave in and tried it, and I'm embarrassed to admit how wrong I was. They connected me to an IRS agent in about 35 minutes when I couldn't even get in the queue myself. The agent confirmed my extension was received in their system even though I hadn't gotten the official email confirmation yet. She explained that as long as I submitted before the deadline, the timestamp on my submission was what mattered, not when they processed it. Saved me a ton of stress and probably a penalty since I was able to confirm my payment information was correct too. Sometimes you have to admit when something you doubted actually works.

I'm an accountant and deal with this situation frequently with clients. Here's what happens: 1) Extensions are almost always accepted unless there's a major error (wrong SSN, etc.) 2) The extension is considered filed when you SUBMIT it, not when it's accepted 3) The date your bank account is debited is irrelevant - what matters is the date you authorized the payment FreeTaxUSA and other filing services provide a timestamp of when you submitted. Save that confirmation! If there's ever a question, that timestamp is your proof that you filed on time.

My extension request last year wasn't accepted until April 17th (two days after the deadline) but I still didn't get any penalties because I submitted on April 14th. The IRS system gets super bogged down right at the deadline so delays are normal. Your submission date is what matters!!!!

I went through this exact same panic last year! Filed my extension on April 14th through FreeTaxUSA and didn't get confirmation until April 18th. I was freaking out thinking I'd get hit with penalties, but everything turned out fine. The key thing to remember is that the IRS considers your extension "filed" the moment you hit submit, not when they send you confirmation. As long as you submitted before midnight on April 15th (which you did on April 13th), you're protected from the failure-to-file penalty. Since you included your estimated tax payment of $2,300 with the extension, you should also be protected from most late payment penalties. The IRS is pretty reasonable about this - they know their system gets overwhelmed right at the deadline. Keep your submission confirmation from TurboTax as proof of your filing date. That timestamp is gold if you ever need to dispute any penalties. You did everything right - try not to stress about it!