When Are Taxes Due?

The 2026 tax season is now underway, with most federal income tax returns due April 15.

Doing your taxes will look a bit different than usual this year: There's no more IRS Direct File, paper-check refunds have been phased out and everyone's adapting to the major changes included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was signed into law last summer.

The good news: Filing deadlines and extension rules remain largely the same as in previous years. If you haven’t filed yet, there's plenty of time to gather your paperwork and get up to speed.

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When is Tax Day 2026?

This year, Tax Day is on April 15. This is the deadline to submit all your federal income tax documents and make a complete or partial payment if you owe the IRS. The deadline is more or less the same every year, except when April 15 falls on a weekend or a holiday and it's pushed to the next business day.

Washington, D.C., and the 41 states that levy individual income taxes have the same deadline as the federal government, with a few exceptions. The states that have separate deadlines historically set it a later date, typically at the end of April or the first week of May.

Taxpayers can request a six-month extension if needed

You can apply for an extension if you need more time. You don't have to explain why, but you must submit the request to the IRS on or before the April 15 deadline.

If approved, your new tax return deadline is Oct. 15 — a six-month extension to file your tax return without penalties.

Note that filing an extension doesn't change your payment due date. It just gives you more time to complete the relevant paperwork. You still have to submit any tax balance or estimated payment you owe by April 15 to avoid late payment penalties.

There are three ways to get this extension: through IRS Free File, by filing Form 4868 via regular mail, or by sending a partial or complete online payment of your estimated income tax and checking a box indicating that you're filing for an extension.

Some people might not need to request an extension to file at all. The IRS may automatically grant an additional two months to taxpayers and military personnel living abroad to submit their tax returns (they're still required to pay on time).

People impacted by a natural disaster are also granted additional time to file and pay their taxes. The most recent disaster relief extension was issued to taxpayers in Montana after the state suffered severe storms and flooding in December. They now have until May 1 to file and pay their taxes.

Check with the IRS to see if there are additional tax relief measures still in force in your state.

What happens if you miss the tax deadline?

Though the IRS will continue to accept electronically filed returns after April 15, missing the tax deadline can cost you. If you fail to pay on time, the penalty is 0.5% of what you owe for each month you don't pay, up to 25%. The failure-to-file penalty is harsher, charging 5% of your due tax amount for each month that goes by, up to the same maximum.

The IRS may reduce or remove these penalties if you have a reasonable explanation for the delay, such as a natural disaster or a death or illness in the family.

That said, you should still file as soon as possible to avoid losing any unclaimed refunds. The IRS grants you the later of two possible dates to claim a credit or refund for a specific year: three years from the date you filed your tax return or two years from the date you paid the tax.

After this period, the money becomes federal government property and you can't get it back unless you meet certain criteria — having a written agreement with the IRS or being impacted by a presidentially declared disaster, among other exceptions.

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What if you can't pay your taxes?

People who can't pay their taxes in full by April 15 should still file their returns and pay what they can. Even a partial payment helps minimize any penalties, and the IRS may allow you to pay any remaining balance over time or possibly even settle for less than the full amount owed through its Offer in Compromise program.

The IRS offers two online repayment plan options, depending on how much you owe in taxes, penalties and interest. Taxpayers who owe less than $100,000 may qualify for a 180-day payment plan, while people who owe less than $50,000 can repay their debt over a longer payment period.

More from Money:

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