Table of contents:
Types of extensions
TFX can file 3 types of extensions on your behalf:
Personal (till Oct 15) - federal and state extensions of time to file individual U.S. tax return forms. This extension is electronic and can be filed at certain times of the year.
Non-personal (till Sept 15) - an extension to file tax returns for corporations, partnerships, estates, trusts, LLCs, etc. This extension is electronic and can be requested anytime throughout the year.
Additional (till Dec 15) - if you live abroad and have filed a personal extension but cannot meet the tax filing deadline by Oct 15, you can ask for a discretionary two-month extension to file your tax return. This extension is not electronic and must be snail-mailed at certain times of the year.
How to request a personal extension (federal, state)
To request a personal extension:
Or navigate to the Extensions section at the left and click Request extension:
Select Personal from a drop-down list and click Confirm and continue.
Read all the information carefully, provide answers to questions, and click Submit.
Once the personal extension request is submitted, the system automatically generates a retainer bill for $50. Your payment will authorize us to proceed with filing your extension request and the money will remain in your account.
❗ Important notes:
Personal extensions can be filed until April 15 for individuals residing in the U.S., and until June 15 for individuals residing outside the U.S. The extension grants additional time to file until Oct 15 in both cases. Please check the filing deadlines as the exact date changes annually.
After June 15 the system will prevent you from selecting the personal extension type.
Between April 15 and June 15, an error message will appear: "Deadline to request an extension for those residing in the USA has passed."
When you submit a request, we automatically verify whether your name, your spouse's name and your SSNs match IRS and Social Security Administration records. If errors occur, you will be prompted to update the information.
An extension only gives you more time to file your U.S. tax return, not more time to pay. If you owe any taxes, the IRS will begin calculating interest and penalties starting on April 15.
A federal extension covers many states, but in 2023 the District of Columbia and New York require a separate extension form to be filed with your federal extension request. When you submit an extension request, we ask you some questions to determine whether you require a separate extension form or not.
If you have not filed for many years, let your tax preparer know to consider whether an extension is in your best interest or not.
How to request a non-personal extension (partnership, corporation, trust)
To request a non-personal extension:
Or navigate to the Extensions section at the left and click Request extension:
Select Non-personal from a drop-down list and either:
select +Create new entity, click Confirm and continue, and create a new entity.
or select the entity already created, and click Confirm and continue.
Provide answers to questions, and click Submit.
Once the extension request is submitted, the system will automatically generate a $100 bill. Your payment will authorize us to proceed with filing the extension request.
❗ Important notes:
U.S. partnerships (including LLCs), C corps, and S corps filing deadlines are typically March 15 unless they operate on a fiscal year (check the filing deadlines as the exact date changes annually). A six-month extension to Sept 15 or five months after the original deadline can be requested.
We can process non-personal extensions for non-U.S. corp (U.S. owner) and non-U.S. partnership if the entity generates income from or operates within the U.S. and possesses a U.S. tax ID (EIN).
Unlike personal extensions, which can only be requested at certain times of the year, non-personal extensions can be requested anytime throughout the year. However, it may not be possible to file it yet. For example, if you request an extension for your U.S. Corporation in November, it is not possible to file it until after the new year. In this case, you will receive an email notification from us and you will see the notice of delay on the Home page of your TFX account:
And on the Extensions page:
How to request an additional extension (until Dec 15)
To request an additional extension (if you live abroad, have already filed an Oct 15 personal extension, and you won't be ready to file your tax return by Oct 15):
Or click the Request extension button on the Extensions page:
Select Personal Dec 15 (additional request) from a drop-down list and click Confirm and continue.
Read all the information carefully and answer all questions.
Note: unlike the regular extension, the Dec 15 extension is a physical letter that cannot be electronically filed and must be snail-mailed to the IRS. If you would like us to mail it for you, you can order this service that costs $50 by selecting Yes - I want TFX to mail it for me ($50) under the question 1.9 Do you want to mail it yourself, or do you want TFX to mail it for you ($50)?
Click Submit.
Below you can watch a short video on how to submit a Dec 15 extension request:
After submission, the system will automatically generate a $350 retainer bill.
❗ Important notes:
Only after a $350 retainer bill is paid, the Dec 15 extension request will be forwarded to your tax preparer. You can use this $350 retainer to cover the cost of other TFX services. For example, $50 when TFX mails the Dec 15 extension request letter for you, leaving you with a $300 credit that doesn't expire and can be used at your convenience.
An additional extension may be requested from the IRS until Dec 15 only if you live abroad and have already filed a personal extension until Oct 15. You must have confirmation of a regular extension and currently reside abroad.
The IRS will not confirm that the extension request is received and it is not guaranteed.
How to change the additional extension delivery method
If you initially chose I will mail it myself when submitting the additional extension request and paid the retainer bill, you have the option to change the delivery method:
Click the Ask TFX to mail ($50) link on the Home page.
Or navigate to the Extensions page and click the Ask TFX to mail ($50) link.
Click the Change button and make the payment.
Once it is paid, your request will be forwarded to our team and we will mail the Dec 15 extension request letter.
If you initially chose I want TFX to mail it for me ($50) and paid the $50 bill for TFX mailing service, you can change the delivery method if you no longer want TFX to mail the Dec 15 extension request letter and TFX has not yet mailed it:
Contact Support and let them know whether you will mail it with regular mail or using a courier service (Fedex/DHL/UPS).
They change the delivery method, and the system automatically credits the paid amount ($50) to your TFX account.
Pay for the extension request
Once the extension request is submitted, the system automatically generates a bill or a retainer bill (money remains in your account). Your payment of these bills authorizes us to proceed with filing the extension request. If you have already made a $350 upfront partial payment during this calendar year and it still appears as a credit on your account, you will not be required to pay the retainer fee.
To pay the retainer fee:
Go to the Bills & Payments section in the left sidebar, and review your bills.
If you have one retainer bill in the list, click Pay Outstanding Bills.
If you have several bills pending, select the Pay Selected radio button, check the box next to a retainer bill you want to pay, and click Pay Outstanding Bills.
2. Enter your billing information and click Pay to proceed with the payment.
❗ Important notes:
All payments are made through a secure processing service. We don’t store your payment details.
Contact our support to get other payment options if you cannot pay with your credit card.
We can only process the extension request from expats if we receive payment no later than June 13. Anything after that (within 24 hours of the extension request deadline) is too close to the deadline to ensure it will be processed.
Cancel extension requests
If you submitted the extension request but have not yet paid the retainer fee, we have not started processing your order. In this case, you may cancel your request at any time.
To cancel your request, log in to your TFX account and click the Delete extension request link on the homepage:
Or navigate to the Extensions section in the left sidebar and click the bin 🗑 button to delete your extension request:
History of extension requests
To see all your extension requests, log in to your TFX account and navigate to the Extensions section in the left sidebar. Here you can see all types of requested extensions for all years:
Type - The extension type. Legal entity types are displayed for non-personal extensions.
Requested - The date the extension was requested.
Paid - The date the extension was paid or you can pay for it by clicking the Pay Bill button.
Filed - The date the Acceptance confirmation document was uploaded.
Expiration - The date until which the deadline for filing tax documents has been extended according to the prepared extension.
Confirm / Delivery info - Links to download the Acceptance confirmation document and to track delivery of a Dec 15 extension request letter to the IRS if you requested us to mail it for you.
Actions:
Click the eye 👁 button to view the information provided by you.
Click the bin 🗑 button to cancel your order if you have not yet paid the retainer bill.
Click the edit 🖊 button to correct errors.
