NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — If you got an extension on the deadline to file your 2021 tax return, the IRS wants to remind you, your time is almost up.
"For those folks who got a six month extension, the deadline to file normally would be October 15," said Michael Devine with the IRS. "Since that's on a weekend, it goes to the next business day, which this year is Monday, October 17. That is the day that you need to file your tax return and avoid any chance of being tagged with a failure to file penalty."
The failure to file penalty is 5% of the unpaid taxes for each month or part of a month that a tax return is late.
"It needs to be in the system by midnight on Monday, so that you don't have to worry about any penalties," Devine said. "You can do it yourself. There's a lot of ways to do that. IRS Free File is still available. Just go to IRS.gov. Right at the top, the first box you see is File Your Taxes for Free. If you made less than $73,000, you can pick a company that you want to do your taxes, put all the information in, and it will go."
For taxpayers whose AGI is greater than $73,000, there’s the Free File Fillable Forms option. It provides electronic federal tax forms that can be filled out and filed online for free.
"If you owed money, that was due back in April," Devine said. "Penalties have been building up on that amount of money. The worst thing you can do is nothing. File your tax return. If you need help, contact the IRS."
Most questions can be answered at IRS.gov, or you can call weekdays between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. to 1 (800) 829-1040.
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