2023 Tax Returns: Down to the Wire

If you are one of the many who has waited until the last minute to file your 2023 Federal Income Tax return, you only have hours now to do so.

The tax filing deadline is midnight tonight, and in Georgia, deadlines for state income taxes mirror Federal deadlines. Additionally,  USPS has announced that they will have normal post office hours today, with no extended hours at retail post offices. 

The IRS is expecting to receive more than 19 million extension requests from taxpayers, up from 15 million in 2020.

Taxpayers who are not able to submit their return by tonight’s deadline can request, at no charge, a six-month tax extension using Form 4868 to move the filing deadline to Oct. 15. If mailing a paper Form 4868, the form must be mailed to the IRS with a postmark on or before April 17, and filing for an extension to file a return does not extend the time to pay any taxes due.

Individual tax filers can e-file their extension form for free using Free File and taxpayers can also get an extension by paying all or part of estimated income tax due and indicate that the payment is for an extension using Direct Pay, the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS), or a credit or debit card.

Taxpayers can also request an extension through a paid tax preparer, using tax-preparation software.

Taxpayers who owe money but can’t pay all of the money at once may set up a payment arrangement; however, the Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers who can’t pay the full amount of federal taxes they owe that they should file their tax return on time by midnight tonight and pay as much as possible.

For information on making payment arrangements or other questions about filing taxes, visit irs.gov.