Tax headache - further extension?

Hi there -

I have been stupidly busy so far this year and have only just sat down to do my 2013 US tax return. Annoyingly (well, not annoyingly, but you'll see what I mean), I make so little as to not even need to file if I was single ($6,500 and some pennies, which has been taxed in the UK, but will get it all back, of course, being less than the current personal allowance), but since I'm married, I still have to file. I was hoping to be home to get my US accountant to do the paperwork for me (and maybe even get the computer to cough up the odd refund, though I doubt it) before the usual overseas deadline, but I'm still waiting on my ILR so I can't get out of the country.

I want to apply for the further extension (form 4868) so I can sort this out without the stress of a ticking clock - but the addresses on the form are confusing. There's no PO Box or anything, just a city - and that just can't be right. I am also assuming that the deadline to apply for the extension is actually 16 June for us (seeing as we get the extra two months anyway, and therefore apply for an extra 4 months rather than 6), not 15 April? The language on the form is unnecessarily obfuscating in this respect.

I also haven't the foggiest idea how to figure out my tax liablity for this form - have had a poke at the 1040 but can't figure out where to put foreign income, much less invoke the whole dual taxation thing/ foreign income exclusion bit. I know I owe nothing, inbetween one thing and another, but cannot for the life of me figure this out.

I bow to your greater knowledge…

Sign up for EFTPS - then make an extension payment for at least $1 (which you get back when you file). This automatically gets you the extension, according to the Form 4868 instructions.

You can also e-file Form 4868 using a commercial software package such as TaxAct or TurboTax.

Also answered here.

And if I should want to do it on paper?

If you would rather send a paper version of Form 4868, then send it to the following address (assuming you are living in a foreign country ):

Department of the Treasury,
Internal Revenue Service Center
P.O. Box 1302 Charlotte, NC 28201-1302 USA
Austin, TX 73301-0215 USA

If you would like further instructions, or need to print the extension out, just visit this link: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4868.pdf

I hope this helps and good luck!

Ooh, I see, it has the first half of the address at the top of the column. They couldn't do it in a more confusing fashion, could they?

Also, quick question for the form. Do I tick both boxes or only the first? Obviously I'm out of the US, have been consistently and without break for a few years now, and my income isn't subject to withholding (as my employers are UK based companies), but I'm not a non-resident alien, which is what, given a cursory glance, 1040NR seems to be be for. The instructions for this form only specifify to tick the box if "If you did not receive wages subject to U.S. income tax withholding, and your return is due June 16, 2014", even though line 9 specifies someone who does this AND has to use 1040NR. Am I perhaps overreading? 

Check the box saying you are overseas; get proof posting. Job done.

Don't forget the FBAR can't be extended.

Many thanks, Guya. I always manage to overcomplicate these things.

No FBAR needed this year (more's the pity), so no need to worry about that.