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Missed extension deadline
Missed the October 15 extension deadline? File now, before penalties grow
The extended deadline for 2025 individual returns was Thursday, October 15, 2026. If you did not file by then, the return is late, and late-filing penalties and interest generally keep growing while a balance is unpaid. Send us what you have. We tell you right away how fast we can file, and we quote a fixed price in writing before any work begins.
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Last reviewed October 16, 2026
Missed Deadline, At A Glance
Extended due datePassed on Thursday, October 15, 2026
Applies to2025 individual returns
Not extendedTime to pay
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What the Extension Did and Did Not Do
More time to file is not more time to pay
An extension gave you until October 15 to file your return. It does not extend the time to pay. Tax owed was due in April, and interest and a failure-to-pay penalty generally keep running on any unpaid balance until it is settled. That is why filing as soon as your records are ready usually costs less than waiting for the last day.
New Jersey adds its own condition. The state accepts a federal extension for filing only if you had paid at least 80% of your New Jersey tax by April 15, and it can deny the extension and charge a late-filing penalty if you had not. We check the state side for you rather than assume it follows the federal extension. The 80% rule and the rest of the NJ filing calendar are laid out in our deadlines guide.
Other things tied to October 15
The FBAR for foreign financial accounts is automatically extended to October 15, so if you reported foreign accounts, that deadline has passed too. See our page on ITIN and foreign income tax help for what that involves.
What To Send Us
Documents that get a late return moving
01
Last year's federal and state returns
The fastest way to see how your return is built.
02
W-2s and 1099s
Every income form you received, including late or corrected ones.
03
Investment and rental statements
Brokerage 1099s, RSU and equity summaries, rental income and expense totals.
04
Business records
Profit and loss, bank statements and payroll reports. Our bookkeepers in Jersey City can help if records are behind.
05
Estimated payments made
Dates and amounts paid to the IRS and New Jersey this year.
06
Anything the IRS or NJ sent you
Notices or letters, so we can make sure they are answered. See IRS representation and tax notice help.
If the Date Has Passed
What to do now that October 15 has passed
File as soon as you can. The failure-to-file penalty is generally larger than the failure-to-pay penalty, so a filed return, even with a balance due, usually costs less than an unfiled one. Our guide to filing taxes late in New Jersey explains the penalties and how to catch up.
Business owners whose September 15 extended deadline for an S-corp or partnership return has already passed should act now too, because late-filing penalties for those returns accrue monthly. Our page on business tax preparation in New Jersey covers how we handle them.
Late returns often involve a second state, self-employment income, or rental and equity paperwork. If that sounds like you, see our New York nonresident return preparation for NJ residents or our accountant for freelancers and 1099 contractors, and we will sort out what is missing first.
Once this return is filed, the next dates to know are in our guide to NJ tax filing deadlines, and the best time to avoid next October's rush is a year-end tax planning conversation.
How It Works
From documents to a filed return
A candid timeline check
We tell you right away how quickly your return can be filed, based on how complete your documents are.
Fixed quote
One price in writing before any work begins.
Prepare, review and e-file
A second reviewer checks the return against your documents before it is filed.
Related Services
More ways we can help
Common Questions
Frequently asked questions
When was the extended tax deadline for 2025 returns?+
Thursday, October 15, 2026, for individual returns where an extension was filed on time. If you did not file by then, your return is now late.
I missed October 15. What should I do now?+
File as soon as you can. The failure-to-file penalty is generally larger than the failure-to-pay penalty, so a filed return costs less than an unfiled one, even if you cannot pay in full. Send us what you have, and we will give you a fixed quote and a realistic timeline in writing.
Does an extension give me more time to pay?+
No. An extension extends the time to file, not the time to pay. Interest and a failure-to-pay penalty generally apply to tax not paid by the original April due date.
Was my New Jersey return automatically extended too?+
Only if you had paid at least 80% of your New Jersey tax by April 15. New Jersey accepts a federal extension for filing, but it can deny the extension and charge a late-filing penalty if the 80% was not paid. We check this when we prepare your return.
How fast can you file my late return?+
It depends on how complete your documents are. Send them as soon as you can, and we will tell you right away what is realistic and quote the price in writing before any work begins.
Send your documents and we will start your catch-up filing
Tell us your return is late, send what you have, and we will confirm the timeline and the price, in writing, before any work begins.