Internal Revenue Service

Fill out Form 4868 online

Application for Automatic Extension of Time To File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return

Form 4868 asks the IRS for an automatic extension of time to file a U.S. individual income tax return: Form 1040, 1040-SR, 1040-NR or 1040-SS. It generally gives 6 more months to file, or 4 more months for U.S. citizens and residents who are out of the country and already have 2 extra months. It does not give you more time to pay tax you owe.

Fill out Form 4868 Blank form from the IRS

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Edition: Tax year 2025
Pages: 4
Fillable fields: 17
Checked against the IRS: November 8, 2026

GuruPDF is not affiliated with the Internal Revenue Service. This page explains the form in plain words; it is not legal or tax advice. Always check the official instructions before you file. This is the tax year 2025 version; the IRS keeps forms for earlier years.

Who uses Form 4868

People who need more time to file Form 1040 or 1040-SR
Nonresident aliens who file Form 1040-NR
People who file Form 1040-SS
U.S. citizens and residents out of the country who need more than the automatic 2 extra months
Fiscal year taxpayers, who must file a paper Form 4868

Before you start

Your name and address, and your spouse's name if you plan to file a joint return
Your social security number (or ITIN), and your spouse's if filing jointly
An estimate of the total tax you expect to report on your 2025 return
The total 2025 payments you expect to report, such as withholding and estimated tax payments
The amount you plan to pay with the form, if any, and a check or money order for it
Your fiscal year start and end dates, if you don't use the calendar year

How to fill out Form 4868

Tax year at the top
The form is for calendar year 2025. If you use a fiscal year instead, enter the date your tax year begins in 2025 and the date it ends.
Part I, line 1: name and address
Enter your name and address. For a joint return, list both spouses in the order they will appear on the return. You can enter another address for correspondence about the extension, or an agent's name and address along with your own name. A new address on this form does not update your IRS record; use Form 8822 for that. If your name changed, report it to the Social Security Administration before you file.
Part I, lines 2 and 3: social security numbers
Enter your SSN on line 2. For a joint return, line 2 is the SSN shown first on the return and line 3 is the other one. If you don't have and can't get an SSN, enter your ITIN, or write "ITIN TO BE REQUESTED" if you don't have one yet. An estate or trust filing Form 1040-NR enters its EIN on line 2 and writes "estate" or "trust" in the left margin next to it.
Part II, lines 4 to 6: tax, payments and balance due
Line 4 is the total tax you expect to report on your 2025 return (Form 1040, 1040-SR or 1040-NR, line 24, or Form 1040-SS, Part I, line 7); enter -0- if you expect none. Line 5 is the total payments you expect to report, not counting what you pay with this form. Line 6 is line 4 minus line 5; enter -0- if line 5 is larger. If you round to whole dollars, round every amount.
Part II, line 7: amount you're paying
Enter the amount you are sending with the form. You still get the extension if you can't pay the full balance on line 6, but interest and a late payment penalty can apply to what stays unpaid.
Part II, lines 8 and 9: check boxes
Check line 8 if you are a U.S. citizen or resident and are out of the country on your return's due date. That means you live and mainly work outside the United States and Puerto Rico, or you are on military or naval duty outside them. Check line 9 if you file Form 1040-NR, didn't receive wages subject to U.S. income tax withholding, and your return is due June 15, 2026.

After you fill it out

Mail the paper form to the IRS by the due date of your return. The address depends on where you live and whether you are enclosing a payment: use the table on page 4 of the form and check the official Form 4868 page for the latest information. Private delivery services can't deliver to the IRS P.O. box addresses, so the IRS lists separate addresses for them. The IRS contacts you only if your request is denied, and you do not attach Form 4868 to your tax return when you file it.

Signing: Form 4868 has no signature line, so there is nothing to sign. Fill it in and mail it, with your payment if you are making one.

Watch out for

Form 4868 extends the time to file, not the time to pay. You owe interest on any tax not paid by the regular due date, and penalties may also apply.
Make the estimate on line 4 as accurate as you can. If the IRS later finds it wasn't reasonable, the extension is void.
The form must be filed by the due date of your return. This edition is for 2025 returns; for a 2025 calendar year return, that due date was April 15, 2026, for most people. Fiscal year taxpayers file by the due date of their fiscal year return.
Don't file Form 4868 if you want the IRS to figure your tax, or if a court has ordered you to file your return by the due date.

Questions about Form 4868

Does Form 4868 give me more time to pay?

No. It only extends the time to file. Any payment you send with it counts as a payment of tax, and interest runs on tax not paid by the regular due date.

Do I need Form 4868 if I pay electronically?

No. If you pay all or part of your estimated tax electronically and say the payment is for an extension, the IRS processes the extension automatically. Keep the confirmation number you receive; page 3 of the form has a space to note it.

How much extra time does it give?

Generally 6 months, which the 2025 edition says is October 15, 2026, for most calendar year taxpayers. If you are out of the country and a U.S. citizen or resident, you already get 2 extra months, and checking line 8 asks for 4 more.

Does it also extend my gift tax return?

Yes. An extension for your 2025 calendar year income tax return also extends the time to file Form 709 or 709-NA for 2025. It does not extend the time to pay gift or GST tax; see Form 8892 to make that payment.

How do I get credit for a payment I sent with Form 4868?

Report it on your 2025 return: Schedule 3, line 10, for Form 1040, 1040-SR or 1040-NR, or Part I, line 9, of Form 1040-SS. If spouses filed separate Forms 4868 but file a joint return, enter the total paid with both.