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October 15 extension deadline
Filed an extension? Get your return done before October 15
If you filed for more time earlier this year, your extended deadline for 2025 individual returns is Thursday, October 15, 2026. We can tell you quickly whether your timeline is realistic, and if it is, prepare and file with a fixed quote in writing.
Last reviewed October 3, 2026
Extension Deadline, At A Glance
Extended due dateThursday, October 15, 2026
Applies to2025 individual returns
Not extendedTime to pay
Start bySending your documents
What the Extension Did and Did Not Do
More time to file is not more time to pay
An extension gives 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 has its own extension rules, and the conditions are different if tax was owed in April, so we check the state side for you rather than assume it follows the federal extension.
Other things tied to October 15
The FBAR for foreign financial accounts is automatically extended to October 15, so if you reported foreign accounts, this is the same date. See our page on ITIN and foreign income tax help for what that involves.
What To Send Us
Documents that get an extended 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 and NJ tax notice help.
If the Date Is Already Close or Gone
What to do if you cannot finish by October 15
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.
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 whether October 15 is realistic for your return.
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 is the extended tax deadline for 2025 returns?+
Thursday, October 15, 2026, for individual returns where an extension was filed on time.
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.
What happens if I miss October 15?+
File as soon as possible. Penalties grow each month a return is late, so a filed return costs less than an unfiled one even if you cannot pay in full.
Is my New Jersey return automatically extended too?+
New Jersey has its own conditions, particularly if tax was owed in April. We confirm how the state treats your situation when we prepare your return.
Can you realistically finish my return before October 15?+
It depends on how complete your documents are. Send them as soon as you can and we will tell you right away whether the date is realistic.
Send your documents before October 15
Tell us you are on extension, send what you have, and we will confirm the timeline and the price, in writing, before any work begins.