Taxpayers who have failed to file their taxes thus far may have good reasons for doing so. Perhaps they are still waiting on certain tax forms of information or for clarification on a particular tax issue. Other taxpayers in and around Roseville and Sacramento may have simply procrastinated due to busy schedules and multiple demands of their time. Consequently, most excuses that you may have for not filing your taxes are unlikely to be sufficient. While it is true that in some rare, extreme cases the IRS and other tax agencies will excuse a late filing, these circumstances are often limited to a serious injury or illness.
If you have failed to file your taxes, it is important to begin thinking about a plan of action. While you do have additional time to file this year, that time is quickly running out. Taxpayers who fail to file and pay their taxes can face a number of penalties like the failure to file penalty, and if you owe taxes, a failure to pay a penalty. In addition, a non-filer will not be eligible to obtain any refund they may be entitled to receive. Perhaps worst of all, a failure to file means that the statute of limitations period will never begin to run on the audit period for the unfiled return. Rely on a Sacramento tax lawyer of NewPoint Law Group, LLP if you have tax law concerns and think you need help.
Taxpayers Have Until Monday, April 18, 2016 to File Federal and State Taxes
There is good news for taxpayers who have yet to file their taxes: Emancipation Day. This federal holiday in Washington D.C. is providing individuals not one, but three extra days to get their taxes filed. Tax day is typically April 15th; however, this year tax day falls on a Friday. And since Friday the 15th is also a federal holiday, tax filing day gets pushed back over the weekend to the following Monday. Remember, though, rather than rush through your taxes in a haphazard manner and make errors, you may want to consider seeking an extension and then work with a tax professional to complete the filing.
Taxpayers Can File for an Extension of Time to File – But Still Must Pay Their Taxes
The tax deadline imposed by the IRS is on April 18th for filings of federal taxes and the California Franchise Tax Board for state income tax. If the taxpayer thinks that he or she will not have his or her filing ready by the deadline, an “extension of time” to file taxes can be requested. However, a taxpayer must request extensions for federal and California state taxes individually. More importantly, the methods of requesting the exemption differs for each type of tax.
For federal taxes, an extension of time to file can be requested by filing IRS Form 4868 Application for Automatic Extension of Time To File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. Filing this form provides the taxpayer an additional six months to file his or her taxes; but, an extension of time to file is not an extension of time to pay. The taxpayer must estimate his or her taxes and enter his or her expected tax liability on line four of Form 4868. If he or she expects to owe the IRS money, then payment must be submitted with the filing if the taxpayer wishes to avoid being charged interest and penalties. A payment of at least 90% of the taxpayer’s actual 2015 liability will provide a safe harbor for fines and penalties.
For California state taxes, the taxpayer should use the worksheet provided on FTB Form 3519 to estimate his or her state tax liability. If the taxpayer does not have a state tax liability, he or she receives an automatic extension to October 17th. If the individual has a state tax liability due, he or she must submit payment for the expected liability via FTB Form 3519 to receive the six-month extension of time to file.
Work with Sacramento Tax Lawyers
If you have tax concerns, a dedicated and diligent Sacramento tax attorney of the NewPoint Law Group, LLP may be able to help. If you have routine tax questions, are concerned about an audit, or need to correct past mistakes or understand what happens if you fail to file an income tax return, we may also be able to help. To schedule a confidential tax consultation, call us at 800-358-0305 or contact us online.
