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IRS offers tax filing extensions: What you need to know for tax deadline day

While there are options to delay filing a return and paying tax bills past April 15, those options likely will be costly.

While there are options to delay filing a return and paying tax bills past April 15, those options likely will be costly. (Scripps News)

A sign for the Internal Revenue Service building in Washington.

By: Justin Boggs

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If you need more time to file your 2024 tax return, the Internal Revenue Service says there are options, but utilizing those options could be costly. The IRS said filers can seek an extension that gives them until Oct. 15 to file. Extensions must be requested by tax deadline day, which is April 15.

The IRS said penalties and interest will increase until the tax balance is paid in full. The IRS also says it can set up payment plans for those struggling to pay back taxes, but again, penalties and interest will apply in those cases.

Last year, over 163 million Americans filed a tax return, but over 20 million of those applications were not received by the IRS by the April 15 deadline.

Millions of Americans to get automatic extension

Although most taxpayers face a deadline today to file their 2024 tax returns, residents in parts of 12 states have a little longer to submit their returns.

The extensions were granted to residents recently included in regions declared federal disaster areas. The Internal Revenue Service is allowing residents of the entire states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina until May 1 to file.

The IRS also granted extensions until May 1 for residents in parts of four other states:

Alaska: The City and Borough of Juneau
New Mexico: Chaves County
Tennessee: Carter, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Greene, Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins, Jefferson, Johnson, Sevier, Sullivan, Unicoi and Washington counties
Virginia: Albemarle, Appomattox, Bedford, Bland and Botetourt counties; Bristol City; Buchanan, Buckingham, Carroll and Charlotte counties; Covington City; Craig County; Danville City; Dickenson and Floyd counties; Galax City; Giles, Grayson, Greene, Lee, Madison, Montgomery and Nelson counties; Norton City; Patrick, Pittsylvania and Pulaski counties; Radford City; Roanoke City; Roanoke, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise and Wythe counties

Some Americans have even longer to file their taxes. Residents of Los Angeles County in California have until Oct. 15 because of the area's wildfires. Taxpayers in all of Kentucky and Boone, Greenbrier, Lincoln, Logan, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Monroe, Raleigh, Summers, Wayne and Wyoming counties in West Virginia have until Nov. 1 to file.