If your income ends up on a Form 1040, your extension is Form 4868. That includes employees, retirees, investors, sole proprietors filing Schedule C, landlords filing Schedule E, and owners of single-member LLCs that have not elected to be taxed as a corporation. One form, six months, no reason required.
What it covers
Form 4868 extends Form 1040, 1040-SR, and 1040-NR. It extends every schedule attached to them. It does not extend a separate business return: if you also own a share of a partnership or S corporation, that entity files its own Form 7004.
Joint returns
One Form 4868 with both names and both Social Security numbers extends the joint return. If you later decide to file separately, the extension covers both separate returns.
What is still due April 15
The tax. IRA contributions for the prior year. The first estimated payment for the new year. None of those move.
Where people go wrong
Sole proprietors sometimes file Form 7004 because they think of themselves as a business. Form 7004 does not list Form 1040 and the request is meaningless. Single-member LLC owners make the same mistake. If the LLC's income is on your Schedule C, you are an individual for extension purposes.
Common mistake
Extending and then filing in October without the state having been extended. See the state extensions page for which states follow the federal extension.
Ready to file it?
You can file a personal extension (Form 4868) online in a few minutes with TaxExtension.com, an IRS-authorized e-file provider operated by our publisher. The extension is automatic; the payment is still due on the original date.