Need a free easy way to efile my tax extension for 2025

Hi everyone, I'm in a total panic right now. I completely lost track of time with work and family stuff and just realized the filing deadline is only 5 days away. There's absolutely no way I can get all my paperwork together in time. Does anyone know of a free way to efile an extension? I've heard there are some options out there but not sure which ones are actually legit. I really don't want to pay $40+ just to file a simple extension when I'm already stressed about money. Any help would be super appreciated! Is it as simple as filling out a form somewhere on the IRS website? I've never had to file an extension before so I'm clueless about the process.

0 coins

18 comments

Evan Kalinowski

•8M

Filing a tax extension is actually pretty straightforward! You can efile a free extension using Form 4868 through the IRS Free File program on their website. It gives you an automatic 6-month extension to file (until October 15), but remember this is just an extension to file your paperwork, not an extension to pay any taxes you might owe. If you think you'll owe money, you should still make an estimated payment when you file the extension to avoid potential penalties and interest. The IRS has several free filing options through their partners, or you can go directly through IRS.gov and use their Free File Fillable Forms option.

0 coins

Evan Kalinowski

•8M

Filing an extension does not increase your audit risk at all. This is actually a common misconception! The IRS doesn't flag extensions as suspicious - millions of taxpayers file extensions every year for all sorts of legitimate reasons. As for your second question, no need to worry about your refund timing either. When you eventually file your complete return, your refund processing follows the normal timeline. The extension just gives you more time to prepare and file your actual tax documents properly.

0 coins

Jasmine Quinn

•8M

I was in this exact same situation last year and discovered taxr.ai which saved me so much stress. It helped me easily generate the extension form and walked me through everything. The interface was super intuitive - I just answered a few basic questions and it prepared the extension form for me to submit. I was able to efile my extension for free in less than 10 minutes at https://taxr.ai and they even explained exactly what I needed to do about estimating any taxes I might owe.

0 coins

Jasmine Quinn

•8M

It handles both federal and state extensions! I was able to file my California extension through them too, which was a huge relief since different states have different requirements. They do offer premium tax preparation services, but there's absolutely no pressure to upgrade. The extension filing is completely free with no strings attached. I ended up using their paid service later for my actual return because I was so impressed with the extension experience, but you can definitely just use the free extension feature without any upselling hassle.

0 coins

Ryan Andre

•8M

If you need to talk to the IRS about your extension or have questions about your specific situation, good luck getting through on the phone this close to the deadline! After spending HOURS on hold last year, I found https://claimyr.com which basically holds your place in the IRS phone queue and calls you when an agent is available. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. I was skeptical but it saved me from wasting an entire day listening to that horrible hold music. The IRS agent even helped me confirm that my extension was properly processed.

0 coins

Ryan Andre

•8M

They use an automated system that navigates the IRS phone tree and stays on hold for you. When they finally get to a real person, you get a call connecting you directly to that IRS agent. It's basically just technology that waits on hold instead of you having to do it. I totally get your skepticism! I felt exactly the same way before trying it. But I can only tell you my experience - I got a call back in about 2 hours instead of wasting my whole day. The IRS agent was able to confirm my extension was in their system and answer my questions about the estimated payment I needed to make. Definitely not a scam - just a really clever service that solved a real problem for me.

0 coins

Daniel Washington

•8M

OK I need to eat my words. After my skeptical comment I decided to try Claimyr this morning because I was desperate to ask about some confusion with my extension. I figured if it didn't work I'd just dispute the charge. Well holy crap it ACTUALLY WORKED. Got a call back in under 3 hours connecting me to a real IRS person who answered all my questions about my extension and estimated payment. Considering I spent 4+ hours on hold last year and eventually gave up, this was absolutely worth it. Can't believe this exists and the IRS hasn't shut it down somehow lol.

0 coins

Aurora Lacasse

•8M

California automatically grants you the same extension as federal (6 months) without requiring a separate form - but ONLY if you don't owe additional tax. If you do owe CA tax, you need to file Form FTB 3519 and make a payment by the original due date to avoid penalties. New York also gives an automatic extension matching the federal timeframe. Texas doesn't have state income tax so no worries there. Most states follow federal extensions but there are definitely exceptions, so always double-check your specific state's requirements.

0 coins