2025 Tax Year FILING SEASON

The 2025 tax year filing season is now underway and runs through April 15, 2026. Once tax season starts it can sometimes be very difficult to onboard new clients for tax returns preparation and filing before the original April 15th deadline.

Sometimes the best we can offer is to file for an automatic extension to buy additional time, then prepare and file returns after the original tax deadline. Below is some information about filing extensions for the 2025 tax year.

File for an automatic extension

The first step to help get through tax season is to file for an automatic extension of time to file. This can be done for individuals for personal tax returns and for corporations (both C and S), partnerships, and LLC’s (taxed as either partnerships or corporations) for business tax returns. We efile all extensions for onboarded clients.

Information for filing for an automatic individual income tax extension Form 4868 can be found here: https://www.irs.gov/filing/get-an-extension-to-file-your-tax-return

Information for filing for an automatic business income tax extension Form 7004 can be found here: https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-7004

Please note that the original deadline for most business tax returns is Monday, March 16th, 2026. Business returns are generally due one month earlier than indivudual tax returns. The IRS can assess some hefty penalties for late business tax returns, especially if there are multiple owners/members/partners. It’s especially important to file timely extensions for business tax returns.

In Ohio, there is no need for separate Ohio extensions. Ohio honors the federal extension. Generally, all Ohio municipalities also honor the federal extension as well.

Please keep in mind that even if you have an automatic extension of time to file, it is not an extension of time to pay. Hopefully you have been making estimated tax payments throughout the year if you are required to do so. If not, you will want to pay in as much as you can now to stop any futher penalty and interest from accruing.

PAY 2025 ESTIMATEd/extension TAX payment

If you believe you will owe taxes for the 2025 tax year and are not able to file your tax returns by the original tax return due date, the best thing you can do is file for automatic extension and make 2025 tax year estimated/extension payments by the original due date of your returns.

In almost all cases, paying your taxes on time is more important than filing your taxes on time. For onboarded clients, we can run a quick estimate to determine how much tax exposure you might have and advise accordingly.

IRS Direct Pay is an easy way to submit payments to the Internal Revenue Service: https://www.irs.gov/payments/pay-personal-taxes-from-your-bank-account

If you are making payments to the IRS, chances are you might owe some state or local tax as well. If you think you will owe any state or local taxes, make 2025 estimated/extension payments to those taxing authorities. In particular, Ohio municipalities have become very aggressive in assessing late payment fines and penalties. If you think you will owe, pay something by the original due date.