Missing The Tax Filing Deadline: How It's Possible And How To Fix It
Life often gets away from you. One moment you think you are on top of everything, and the next you realize you forgot to file your taxes. Oops. Before you panic, you should know that you are not alone.
There is definitely a cross-section of the American population that either forgets to file their taxes on time or realizes at the last minute that they need to do their taxes and then does not have the time to complete them. Certified public accountants often see a last minute rush on taxes when these folks realize that they are running out of time or when they realize that filing day has already passed. As the following will show, you can see how this may have happened to you and how to fix it.
You Were out of Town/Country, Too Busy, Etc.
Unmarried military personnel serving out of country often forget to file taxes in the midst of serving their country. People who travel the globe for business also forget to file. Single parents juggling a dozen different things at once drop the ol' tax ball, too. Time gets away from you, and every day blurs into the next. It is when you realize what has happened and you are able to do something about it that you should file your taxes. Employing an accountant is a step in the right direction because the accountant can verify where you were and what happened to cause you to file after the deadline.
How to Fix the Situation
First, hire an accountant. Next, ask the accountant to file for late filing of your taxes. If it is only a couple of days late, the IRS will have no problem excusing you. If it is several months late, you may need to prove why you are filing late when you request late filing (e.g., out of the country, abducted, and held hostage, etc.). Once you receive permission from the government to file late, you should be starting your forms and completing them with your accountant's help. It really only takes a couple of hours, and you should make every effort to set that time aside to complete your taxes.
If you need additional time for some reason, file for an extension after you receive permission to file late. Your accountant can help you file this form as well. Then you will have until October of this year to finish filing, but you have to file by that date. No further extensions or excuses are granted or allowed. For more information, reach out to a certified public accountant in your area.