Quick tax filing extension hack: Just use IRS Direct Payment site with small payment - no Form 4868 needed!
Hey everyone, I just learned something that could really help some of you who are scrambling to get your taxes done for 2025. I've been stressing about not being able to finish my taxes on time this year because my investment statements came in super late (thanks a lot, new brokerage firm 🙄). Instead of going through the whole Form 4868 process that I've always done before, my buddy who works at H&R Block told me you can just make a small payment through the IRS Direct Payment site and it automatically gives you an extension! I was skeptical at first so I checked online, and it's totally legit. The system basically acknowledges your payment as an intent to file, and you get the standard 6-month extension without filling out the separate extension form. Last year I paid like $20 (I usually get refunds anyway) through the IRS Direct Payment portal and selected "extension" as the payment reason. Boom - instant extension! No paperwork needed. The IRS confirmed my extension was processed in their system the next day when I checked my account. Just wanted to share this because I wasted so many hours in previous years stressing about Form 4868. Has anyone else used this method before? Are there any downsides I should know about?
18 comments
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Shelby Bauman
You're absolutely right about this method! As someone who's been preparing taxes for over a decade, I can confirm this is perfectly legitimate. The IRS Direct Payment site is designed to recognize extension payments. Here's what's happening behind the scenes: When you make a payment through the IRS Direct Payment site and select "extension" as the reason, the system automatically treats this as an extension request. Technically, you're still getting an extension via Form 4868, but the system is essentially filling it out electronically for you based on your payment information. Just remember that an extension gives you more time to file your return, not more time to pay what you owe. The payment you make should cover what you estimate you'll owe, or you could face penalties and interest on the unpaid amount.
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Quinn Herbert
•Wait, so if I think I'm getting a refund anyway, can I just pay like $1 through the Direct Payment site to get the extension? Or do I need to actually estimate what I might owe?
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Shelby Bauman
•If you're confident you'll receive a refund, you can indeed make a very small payment, even just $1, and still receive the extension. The payment amount isn't what triggers the extension—it's the act of making a payment with "extension" selected as the reason. That said, if you end up owing taxes instead of getting a refund, you'll be responsible for interest and possibly penalties on any unpaid amount from the original due date. So it's always better to make a good faith estimate if you think there's any chance you might owe.
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Salim Nasir
This saved my butt last year! I totally forgot about filing until April 14th and panicked. I went to https://taxr.ai and uploaded my tax documents, and they immediately flagged that I would likely owe money this year (unlike previous years when I got refunds). They recommended making an extension payment through IRS Direct Pay to avoid penalties while I got my paperwork together. Took less than 5 minutes to make a small payment through the IRS site, and I got the extension confirmation right away. The taxr.ai system even estimated how much I should pay based on my documents to avoid any underpayment penalties. Super helpful when you're in a time crunch!
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Hazel Garcia
•Does taxr.ai actually file the extension for you or do they just help you figure out if you need to make a payment? And do they actually look at your specific tax situation or is it just general advice?
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Laila Fury
•I'm a bit skeptical about these AI tax tools. How accurate was their estimate compared to what you actually ended up owing when you finally filed? I've been burned by "estimates" before.
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Salim Nasir
•They don't file the extension for you - they analyze your documents and tell you if you'll likely owe money so you know whether to make an extension payment. It's specific to your situation based on the docs you upload, not just general advice. Their estimate was surprisingly accurate for me. When I finally filed with my regular accountant two months later, their estimate was only about $120 off from my actual tax bill of $3,750. My accountant was impressed when I told him where I got the estimate from.
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Laila Fury
Well, I have to eat my words about being skeptical of taxr.ai. After my last comment, I decided to try it myself since I was also running late on filing this year. Uploaded my W-2s, 1099s, and last year's return to https://taxr.ai and within minutes got a detailed analysis showing I'd likely owe around $2,200 this year. Made the payment through the IRS Direct Payment site like suggested, selected "extension" as the reason, and got my automatic extension. When I finally finished my taxes last week using TurboTax, my actual amount owed was $2,178 - they were off by only $22! Saved me from a lot of stress and potential penalties. Going to use this combo approach every year now when I need more time.
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Geoff Richards
This is all great advice, but I've been trying to reach the IRS for 3 weeks to ask some questions about my extension and can't get through. Just endless hold times and disconnects. Anyone have a trick for actually getting a human on the phone? I need to confirm they received my extension payment since nothing shows up in my online account yet. I tried calling right when they open, tried different days of the week, even tried the "Spanish line" trick (where you select Spanish then ask for English) that someone recommended online. Nothing works. About to give up and just hope for the best.
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Simon White
•Have you tried using Claimyr? https://claimyr.com basically holds your place in the IRS phone queue and calls you when an agent is about to answer. You can see a demo of how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I used it last month when I had a question about my stimulus payment that wasn't showing up on my transcript. Got through to an agent in about 45 minutes instead of wasting my whole day on hold.
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Hugo Kass
•Wait, so you pay some random company to call the IRS for you? How is that even legal? Sounds like a scam to get money from desperate people.
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Simon White
•They don't call the IRS for you - they hold your place in line. It's like having a friend wait in a physical line while you do something else. When your turn is coming up, you get a call and then you're connected directly with the IRS agent. It's completely legal because you're the one who actually speaks with the IRS. You provide your own information and handle your own tax issues. They just solve the problem of having to waste hours listening to hold music.
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Hugo Kass
I owe everyone here an apology. After calling the IRS the "traditional way" for FOUR DAYS and never getting through, I broke down and tried Claimyr that was mentioned above. I was 100% sure it would be a waste of money. I couldn't have been more wrong. Got a call back in about 2 hours saying they had an IRS agent on the line. I was connected immediately to a very helpful person who confirmed my extension payment was received but hadn't been properly applied to my account yet. She fixed it while I was on the phone. Would have taken me probably another week of trying to reach someone on my own. Hate to admit when I'm wrong but in this case I definitely was!
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Nasira Ibanez
One thing to keep in mind about using the Direct Payment method for extensions - make sure you keep the confirmation number they give you! I learned this the hard way last year. The IRS somehow lost track of my extension payment in their system, and when I got a failure-to-file notice with penalties, I had no proof I'd made the payment. Took months to sort out with multiple phone calls. Now I screenshot everything and save confirmations as PDFs.
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Khalil Urso
•Is there a way to check online if your extension was properly processed? I made a payment two weeks ago but I'm paranoid now after reading your comment.
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Nasira Ibanez
•Yes, you can check if your extension was processed by logging into your online account at IRS.gov. Go to the Tax Records section and look for the account history or payments section. You should see your extension payment listed there with the correct tax year and payment type. If you don't see it after about 5-7 business days, I'd recommend calling the IRS to confirm. Better to deal with it now than months later when penalties might have accumulated.
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Myles Regis
I'm a bit confused about something... if I file an extension this way, is October 15th the new deadline for BOTH filing my return AND paying any remaining taxes I owe? My tax situation is complicated this year with a new business.
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Shelby Bauman
•This is a common misunderstanding. The extension only gives you extra time to FILE your return (until October 15th), not extra time to PAY what you owe. Any tax you owe is still due by the original April deadline. That's why you make an estimated payment when requesting the extension - to cover what you think you'll owe. If you don't pay the full amount you end up owing by the April deadline, you'll face interest charges and possibly penalties on the unpaid portion, even if you filed an extension.
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