File Your Business Tax Extension Online
Don't let the March 15th deadline catch you off guard
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Get an automatic 6-month business tax extension until September 15th
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eFile and receive IRS confirmation in minutes
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Over 99% of eFiled extensions receive instant IRS approval
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Complete your business tax extension in just 5 minutes
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How to eFile Your Business Tax Extension in 3 Steps
3 Easy Steps to Extend Your Tax Filing in 5 Minutes
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Step 1) Provide Your Business Details
Enter your business name, Employer Identification Number (EIN), tax year, and entity type. TaxExtension.com’s secure system walks you through each required field, no tax expertise required. If you’re unsure of your EIN, you can locate it on prior-year tax returns or your IRS EIN confirmation letter.
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Step 2) Calculate Your Estimated Tax (C-Corps Only)
C-Corporations must include an estimated tax payment with their extension request if federal income taxes are owed for the year. Our built-in calculator helps you estimate your liability based on prior-year figures so you can submit the correct amount and avoid underpayment penalties. All other entity types, S-Corps, partnerships, LLCs, trusts, and estates, are not required to submit a payment with their extension.
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Step 3) Submit Your Business Tax Extension
Review your information, confirm your entity type and tax year, and submit directly to the IRS through our secure eFiling system. You’ll receive an email confirmation once your extension is accepted, typically within minutes of submission. We recommend saving this confirmation for your records.
In the rare case that your extension is rejected, TaxExtension.com will notify you immediately so you can correct and resubmit before your deadline. Nearly all rejections are caused by an EIN mismatch, as long as your information is accurate and you file on time, approval is virtually guaranteed.
Business Tax Extension Deadlines by Entity Type
C-Corporations file Form 1120, due April 15 for calendar-year filers. Filing a business tax extension moves this deadline to October 15. C-Corps are the only business entity type required to include an estimated tax payment with their extension if taxes are owed. S-Corporations file Form 1120-S, due March 15 for calendar-year filers. An approved extension moves this to September 15. S-Corps are pass-through entities, so no tax payment is required with the extension.
Partnerships file Form 1065, due March 15 for calendar-year filers. A business tax extension moves this deadline to September 15. Partnerships are pass-through entities, partners report income on their individual returns and no entity-level payment is required with the extension. Multi-member LLCs are taxed as partnerships by default and follow the same deadlines. If your LLC has elected to be taxed as a corporation, it follows C-Corp or S-Corp rules based on your election. Note: single-member LLCs are disregarded entities and should file a personal tax extension using Form 4868, not Form 7004.
Trusts and estates file Form 1041, due April 15 for calendar-year filers. A business tax extension moves this deadline to October 15. Estates and trusts can owe income tax on undistributed income, so it's important to assess whether estimated payments are needed before the original deadline. Certain grantor trusts have simplified filing requirements, consult a tax advisor if you're unsure which rules apply to your trust.
It's fast, convenient, and secure! Every year, more and more people use TaxExtension.com to eFile their extensions and pay their estimated taxes online.
What Happens If You Miss the Business Tax Deadline?
Filing your business tax return late, without an approved extension, exposes your business to IRS penalties that compound quickly. Filing a business tax extension by your original deadline eliminates the failure-to-file penalty entirely. Here’s what’s at stake if you don’t.
Failure-to-File Penalty The IRS charges 5% of unpaid taxes for each month (or partial month) your return is late, up to a maximum of 25%. On a $50,000 tax liability, that’s up to $12,500 in penalties before interest is even factored in.
Minimum Penalty for Returns Over 60 Days Late If your return is more than 60 days late, the IRS imposes a minimum penalty of $510 (for 2024 returns) or 100% of the tax owed, whichever is smaller. This applies even when your tax liability is zero.
Failure-to-Pay Penalty Separate from the filing penalty, the IRS also charges 0.5% of unpaid taxes per month, up to 25%, when taxes owed are not paid by the original deadline. This penalty continues to accrue even during an approved extension, which is why submitting an estimated tax payment by your original due date is critical, even if you’re not ready to file your full return.
Interest on Unpaid Balances On top of penalties, the IRS charges daily compounding interest on any unpaid balance beginning the day after your original deadline. The current rate is the federal short-term rate plus 3 percentage points, approximately 8% annually for 2024. Interest cannot be waived.
What Is a Business Tax Extension?
A business tax extension gives your company additional time to prepare and file its federal income tax return. For most business entities, filing an extension with the IRS grants an additional 6 months beyond the original deadline, moving the due date from March 15 or April 15 to September 15 or October 15, depending on your entity type.
Business entities file for an extension using IRS Form 7004, officially titled “Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File Certain Business Income Tax, Information, and Other Returns.” The extension covers corporations, partnerships, multi-member LLCs, trusts, and estates. Unlike individual extensions (which use Form 4868), a business tax extension is specific to entity-level returns.
The extension is fully automatic, the IRS does not require a reason or justification. As long as the extension is submitted accurately by your original filing deadline, approval is virtually guaranteed.
Important: A business tax extension gives you more time to file your return, not more time to pay taxes owed. If your business expects to owe federal income taxes, estimated payments should still be submitted by the original deadline to avoid IRS interest and penalty charges.
As an authorized IRS e-file provider, TaxExtension.com protects your information with the latest security technology and daily security scans. Our dedicated support team is standing by if you have any questions. Get your business tax extension online today.
FAQ
The rules and regulations for business tax extensions are different in every state. Some states will automatically grant you a state tax extension if you obtain a valid Federal extension — but other states require a separate state-specific application. For state-by-state information about filing tax extensions, please visit our State Tax Extensions center.
If your company maintains financial books/records, you can determine your current tax liability if you multiply your taxable income by the applicable tax rate. Many people simply use their numbers from last year’s tax return (as long as your tax situation is relatively similar). Remember to reduce your current tax balance by the amount of tax that was withheld (or paid via estimated tax payments), if any, during the year.
Yes. You can get more time to file for an estate or trust by submitting IRS Form 7004 for a business tax extension. An extension will give you 5 extra months to file Form 1041 (U.S. Income Tax Return for Estates and Trusts). During TaxExtension.com’s online application process, you will have the option of choosing “Estate” or “Trust” for your business entity type.
It depends on what type of LLC you have. For Federal income tax purposes, a multi-member LLC is classified as a “partnership” by default (unless it specifically elects to be treated as a corporation). A multi-member LLC classified as a partnership should request a business tax extension (IRS Form 7004) to get 5 extra months to file. A multi-member LLC classified as a corporation should also request a business tax extension, which provides 6 extra months to file a corporation return. On the other hand, a single-member LLC is classified as a “disregarded entity” by default (unless it specifically elects to be treated as a corporation). When a single-member LLC is treated as a disregarded entity, that means its activities are reported on the owner’s individual income tax return (Form 1040). So if you have a single-member LLC, you only need one (1) personal tax extension (IRS Form 4868) to cover yourself and your business, which gives you 6 extra months to file your return.
Independent contractors (Form 1099), sole proprietors (Form 1040 Schedule C), and single-member LLCs that report their business activities on their personal tax return (IRS Form 1040) should request a personal tax extension — not a business extension. For these taxpayers, a personal extension (IRS Form 4868) will cover both themselves and their business. If you have a different type of business, such as a partnership or S-corporation, you should file IRS Form 7004 for a business tax extension.
An IRS tax extension will give a business 5 or 6 extra months (depending on the type of business entity) to file its Federal income tax return. A business tax extension grants 5 more months to file: Form 1041, Form 1065, and Form 8804. A business tax extension grants 6 more months to file: Form 706-GS(D), Form 706-GS(T), Form 1041 (bankruptcy estate only), Form 1041-N, Form 1041-QFT, Form 1042, Form 1065-B, Form 1066, Form 1120, Form 1120-C, Form 1120-F, Form 1120-FSC, Form 1120-H, Form 1120-L, Form 1120-ND, Form 1120-ND (section 4951 taxes), Form 1120-PC, Form 1120-POL, Form 1120-REIT, Form 1120-RIC, Form 1120S, Form 1120-SF, Form 3520-A, Form 8612, Form 8613, Form 8725, Form 8831, Form 8876, Form 8924, and Form 8928. Our easy-to-use online application makes it easy for you to select the correct business entity type. If you are unsure which business tax return is required for your business, TaxExtension.com will help you figure it out.
Most partnerships and multi-member LLCs are required to file a separate income tax return, which means you will need a business extension to cover your business tax return, plus a personal extension to cover your personal tax return. On the other hand, a single-member LLC is classified as a “disregarded entity” (or “pass-through entity”), which means the business activities are reported on the owner’s personal tax return. In that case, you would only need a personal tax extension to cover both you and your business.
If you file a separate tax return for your business and you’re required to provide the business’ EIN (employer identification number) on the return, you should also provide the EIN on your tax extension request. Note that most businesses are required to obtain an EIN, which the IRS uses to identify a business entity. However, if you have a single-member LLC — which is considered a “pass-through entity” (or “disregarded entity”) — you should use your SSN (Social Security Number) instead of an EIN. Pass-through entities are reported as part of the owner’s personal tax return, which means you only need one (1) personal tax extension (IRS Form 4868) to cover both yourself and your business.
Corporations are granted a 6-month tax extension, which moves their filing deadline from March 15 to September 15. Trusts, certain estates, most partnerships, and some multi-member LLCs are granted a 5-month tax extension, which moves their filing deadline from April 15 to September 15.
In most cases, you will hear back from the IRS within 24 hours of submitting your business tax extension online. However, it’s important to note that IRS response times will be longer than normal on the last day of filing (March 15 and April 15). As soon as your business extension is approved by the IRS, you will receive an email from TaxExtension.com with the details of your extension, including your official IRS confirmation number.
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