Tax extension deadline today: What missing Oct. 15 could cost you and how to avoid extra penalties

Tax extension deadline is today for people with unfiled 2025 returns: People who asked the IRS for more time on their 2025 federal return have until today, Thursday, Oct. 15, to file it. The IRS doesn’t allow a second extension.

The extra time came from Form 4868, which moved the deadline from April 15 to October 15. Those six months are now up.

Oct. 15 tax deadline: 2025 filers could face IRS penalties even after requesting an extension

This is where many people get caught. The extension covered filing only. Any tax owed was due on April 15, whatever the new filing date.


Interest has been building on unpaid balances since then. The IRS says paying as much as you can now will limit the extra charges.

Two separate penalties apply. Filing late costs 5% of the unpaid tax each month, up to 25%. Paying late costs 0.5% a month. Those figures come from IRS rules, not from the news coverage I reviewed.

Someone who can’t pay everything today should still file. The bigger penalty is the one for not filing.

People who are owed money don’t face a late-filing penalty. But the IRS can’t send a refund until it has the return, so every week of delay is a week without the money.

How the refund arrives has changed. A tax preparer in Michigan said the IRS no longer mails paper checks. That means filers need their bank account and routing numbers ready.

Two new tax breaks may apply this year

Millions of people are expected to claim federal breaks for tips and overtime pay for the first time. Anyone who earned either last year should confirm their software or preparer asks about them.

A tax office in Ohio also said refunds looked slightly larger this year because of the law that created those breaks. That’s one office’s view. It isn’t a national figure.

Late filers are often waiting on a form that never showed up. The IRS Online Account shows payment history and other tax details that can help fill the gaps.

It can also settle two basic questions: whether your extension went through, and whether you still owe a balance.

Disaster relief can push filing dates back for people in affected areas. When the IRS announces it, the new deadline is announced too. If a storm or flood hit your county this year, check IRS.gov before assuming today is final.

Most filers won’t fall into that group.

Your deadline was April 15. It has passed. Penalties and interest grow monthly, so filing this week costs less than filing next month.

E-filing is the safest route. An electronic return generally counts as on time if you submit it by 11:59 p.m. in your time zone. Some software companies set earlier cutoffs, so check yours first.