April 15th Deadline

Hi y'all.  Um -- are there any other irresponsible sorts out there who just basically forgot about the April 15th deadline?  I know I am eligible for the 2 month extension thing, being over here -- but you have to file a paper for that, right?  Am I in a big world of hurt now or what do I need to do?  Just speculating, I do not think I will be owing anything -- rather I think they might either owe me or just about break even...I haven't worked since Mar 12 of 2004 (my US job just before I moved here) -- so I didn't have much income for 2004.  Any advice or suggestions about what to do now -- welcome!

Yeah, I think you still need to file for an extension by the 15th.  You may want to contact the IRS at the American Embassy in London and ask them what you should do next.

bvamin

I don't think you have to file for the extention if you're not living in the US - it's an automatic one to 15th June.  But if you owe anything, you're still required to pay it by 15th April.

Ok - I guess I won't worry about it too much -- just fill out some forms & send them in soon.  I suppose if it's not right, the IRS will let me know!

Carolyn,

Since you're living over here the extension is automatic to June 15th. However, if you owe them anything that amount MUST have been paid by April 15th or there will be a failure to pay penalty plus interest on the unpaid amount to the time that you actually file. If you don't owe them anything or you are getting a refund back there is no failure to file, failure to pay, or interest calculated. Wouldn't matter if you waited 2 years to file....if you don't owe them they won't charge you anything because all of their penalties are based on amount of tax owed to them.

You'd think since I'm a CPA that I would be phobic about filing my taxes on time but I'm just the opposite. I'm the world's worst procrastinator and normally don't file my taxes until I'm about at the mark where I'd waive the rights to my refunds lol. Last year I filed 4 years worth of my taxes and paid nothing because I was getting refunds for all 4 years.

Okay, so I thought I could rely on the online system - WRONG!

I am still in the US, but anyone know how much I'll be docked for filling late since I thought I was filed and just found out I haven't?? I was supposed to get $ back, but now I suppose I'll just get less.

Thanks!

Okay, so I thought I could rely on the online system - WRONG!

I am still in the US, but anyone know how much I'll be docked for filling late since I thought I was filed and just found out I haven't?? I was supposed to get $ back, but now I suppose I'll just get less.

Thanks!

You won't be docked anything if you were getting a refund. Again, the IRS only charges late penalties and interest on amounts owed to them as of April 15th. If you didn't owe them anything they won't charge you anything. They look at it as being able to use your money (your refund) interest free if you don't file on time. They get to invest your money and earn interest on it and they don't have to send that interest on to you.

  They get to invest your money and earn interest on it and they don't have to send that interest on to you.

Yes, funny how that works!

Yes, funny how that works!

Yes, and just as funny how it works in the opposite direction. In 1991 my ex-husband was in the army and we were living in Germany. When I filed our tax return I clearly stated on the proper line that we did NOT qualify for Earned Income Credit. Lo and behold, when our refund check arrived the IRS had (in its infinite wisdom) recalculated our return using the Earned Income Credit. Needless to say our refund check was much higher than it should have been. I immediately returned the check to them with a nice little letter stating that they had given us too much money and to please issue the check for the original amount shown on our return. We get a nice little letter back saying "thanks for letting us know we made a mistake and your corrected refund check will be issued within the next two weeks." About a month later we received the refund check (correct amount this time) and then two weeks after that we received a bill from the IRS for $30 interest on the amount they overpaid us from the time they issued the check until the date they voided the check. Talk about a livid taxpayer. Lots of our friends advised us to just pay the $30 and let it go, saying that we wouldn't want the IRS to flag us as troublemakers. My answer was NO WAY! It took me four more letters, two more bills from the IRS and a lot of steam coming out my ears before I got them to finally admit that they should never have issued the first check and that any loss of income to them was their own fault and not mine.

 

I work for the federal gov't now (general services admin). I'm not too surprised, but this is my first year filing my own taxes, so it's a learning curve i suppose.

Good for you to be so diligent!

I work for the federal gov't now (general services admin). I'm not too surprised, but this is my first year filing my own taxes, so it's a learning curve i suppose.

Good for you to be so diligent!

I worked for a NAF organization in the federal government for 8 years. It's amazing what goes on isn't it, lol.