The e-File Deadline Is October 15

Q: What is due by October 15 this year?

IRS income tax return: Your IRS taxes for the year can no longer be e-filed after this date. A tax extension could reduce your penalties if you filed one by April 15. Estimate potential late payment penalties here; file even if you can't pay and see tips on paying taxes.State income tax return: Get your state taxes e-filed with your IRS return by this date. Regardless of whether or not you filed a state tax extension, you can e-file your IRS and state tax return together on eFile.com. Late filing penalties will apply if you owe taxes; e-file even if you can't pay.IRS and state tax amendments: You will lose the ability to edit your returns, thus an amendment for the IRS and state must be prepared by this date. The eFile Tax App lets you complete a tax amendment for your IRS return; state tax amendments vary.

Taxes are almost always due by April 15, but the IRS and most states allow them to be e-filed until the following October 15. If you are owed a tax refund and you file by this date, there are no penalties; if you owe taxes, you will face penalties if you file after April 15.

Important: if you owe taxes but couldn't file by April 15, prepare and e-file your returns as soon as possible - even if you can't afford to pay the taxes due when you file. Then, pay your taxes as soon as you have the budget to do so. Why? It would reduce your late filing penalties which are much higher than late payment penalties! Estimate potential penalties and/or find tax payment options and pay online. Tip: File something even if you can't pay anything! Watch either one of these tax deadline videos for more tax help.

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In case you miss the April 15 deadline to e-file your taxes or you e-filed an extension by that date, you can e-file your 2024 Taxes until October 15, 2025. After that date, you can only prepare and mail your return via paper forms. File over the summer or at least by the fall:

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If you are filing late and owe taxes, estimate tax penalties here.

Tax Tip: If you don't owe taxes, you will not be subject to a late filing penalty, even if you file or e-file late. If you expect a tax refund, you should file your return to get your refund.

After the October deadline, you will no longer be able to e-file 2024 Returns.
After April 15, 2028, you will no longer be able to claim your 2024 Tax Refund because it is only available three years following its due date.
Don't become part of this statistic of unclaimed tax refunds.
You can mail in a return and include direct deposit information for returns filed late on paper.

You'll Be Fine!

If you miss the October deadline, you will have to file back taxes and other previous years on paper forms. You can complete these forms online here on eFile.com: previous tax year forms, deadlines, and calculators.

What Is the October 15 Tax Due Date?

The October 15 deadline allows taxpayers some time to gather their tax forms, organize their payments, and assess and pay any penalties they may have accrued. Prepare your return or extension on eFile.com by April 15 to eliminate or reduce any penalties. Gather all your tax forms and get your return e-filed by the April deadline. If you miss it, you can still e-file through October 15.

A tax season lasts from January to October and if you do not e-file within this timeframe, you will not be able to file the return online for that year.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is due by October 15 this year?

IRS income tax return: Your IRS taxes for the year can no longer be e-filed after this date. A tax extension could reduce your penalties if you filed one by April 15. Estimate potential late payment penalties here; file even if you can't pay and see tips on paying taxes.
State income tax return: Get your state taxes e-filed with your IRS return by this date. Regardless of whether or not you filed a state tax extension, you can e-file your IRS and state tax return together on eFile.com. Late filing penalties will apply if you owe taxes; e-file even if you can't pay.
IRS and state tax amendments: You will lose the ability to edit your returns, thus an amendment for the IRS and state must be prepared by this date. The eFile Tax App lets you complete a tax amendment for your IRS return; state tax amendments vary.

How to calculate taxes?

eFile.com has many helpful tax calculators and tools that assist in assessing your tax return before you actually prepare and file. Visit the tax calculator section for a wide range of free tools.

How can I start my tax return now?

eFileIT today: get your taxes done when you are able to as you will lose the ability to file online by October 15. eFile.com is open from January-October for filing, but we are here year-round to answer your tax questions.

When will my tax refund get to me?

Estimate the date you may receive your federal refund from the IRS after you filed an accepted federal tax return. Once your federal and state returns have been accepted, track your IRS refund and find the status of your state refund.

How to file taxes on time?

This detailed step-by-step e-file tax return timeline guides you through the preparation process. Here is a simplified timeline to make sure you meet all the deadlines:

January 31: You should have all your tax forms by this date; you can begin preparing your taxes based on your forms.
April 15 File your IRS and state tax return(s) or an extension; pay due taxes if you are able to and verify that you have a bank account to pay from or have your refund sent to.
October 15: e-File your IRS and state returns by this date or you will lose the ability to file online.

What should I do if I miss the deadline to file taxes?

If you miss the October tax deadline, you can complete the tax forms here on eFile.com and mail in your return to the IRS and/or state agency. Access all the forms and calculators for years that have passed.

What is the deadline to claim a tax refund?

If you expect a tax refund for one or more previous tax years and you have not filed an IRS or state income tax return, you are not penalized for this. However, you only have three years after the tax year to claim your tax refund. For example, after April 15, 2028, you will no longer be able to claim your 2024 IRS tax refund. Most states follow these or similar expiration rules.

What are all the tax due dates?

Find all up-to-date and relevant tax return deadlines that can help you make sure you file on time.

Can Anyone File Through October 15?

Generally, the April deadline only applies if you owe federal and/or state taxes. If you are owed a refund, you likely will not face any penalties for filing after this deadline. Certain circumstances may change this, such as owing an outstanding debt or unpaid child support.

If you owe taxes, file or e-file a tax extension if you will not be able to file your return by the April deadline. Whether or not you file an extension does not determine if you can still e-file through October; anyone can file online though this date.

Reasons to file an extension include:

You are missing a form or other information to properly prepare you taxes
You are faced with a life changing event and do not have the time or energy to file
You are out of the country - typically, two months is given
You are overseas as part of an active-duty military order.

Because the IRS and states close e-filing for returns on or around October 15, use tax software like the eFile Tax App to prepare and e-file your return to avoid manually filing paper forms.

Additional Resources

See how to pay your due tax after filing or how to set up a payment plan.
Learn about the benefits of direct deposit when receiving your tax refund.
State tax return deadlines are generally similar to the IRS deadline - review your state information to see what your deadline is.

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