Can I E-File After the Deadline?

After October 15th, you can no longer e-file…

You yawn and wake up from a nice long, relaxing state of hibernation. Somehow you not only missed the April 15th tax filing deadline, you also missed the October 15th tax extension deadline.

First reaction: panic. Second reaction: is it still possible to e-file?

You can no longer e-file a 2013 tax return. October 15th marked the last day of the e-file season. The good news is you can still prepare your late tax return, you’ll just need to mail it to the IRS.

Even better, you’ll be able to use the PriorTax online tax software to prepare your late taxes.

When Does The E-File Season Start & End Each Year?

Every year e-file stays open from sometime in January (in 2014, it was January 31st) until the official season deadline of October 15th.

Why October 15th and not April 15th? Everyone who requested an extension on their taxes during tax season, gets an extra six months to file their taxes. Thus, the e-file system needs to stay open that entire time in order to accommodate them. Luckily, even if you didn’t request an extension you can still e-file anytime between April 15th and October 15th.

After October 15th, however, the IRS shuts the e-file system down in order to prepare for the next tax season. As of right now, the IRS is preparing for the 2015 Tax Season.

Keep in mind though that if you owe tax due, and miss the tax deadline, you may have to pay a failure-to-file penalty, a failure-to-pay penalty, and/or interest. So if you owe, or you just think you might owe, it’s probably best to take care of things as soon as possible.

E-File with PriorTax! 

Starting sometime in January the PriorTax 2014 Tax Application will be available for you to get a head start on your 2014 taxes. Then, when e-file season begins your tax return will be filed right away!

So there you have it. File your late taxes today so you can get back to hibernating…. just don’t forget to wake up for the 2015 Tax Season!

Photo via Helga Weber on Flickr.

This entry was posted on Friday, April 26th, 2013 at 8:42 pm and is filed under Tax Deadlines. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.