I know all the careful readers of the ol' blog have already taken note of the left column note that June 15 is a big tax filing day.
In addition to being an estimated tax filing deadline, June 15 also is the deadline for U.S. citizens or resident aliens living and working outside the country, as well as military personnel stationed abroad, to file Form 1040.
Passport stamps by hjl via Flickr Creative Commons
Taxpayers who are out of the country can file online. Those who qualify — individuals with adjusted gross incomes of $58,000 or less — might be able to do so at no cost by using the Internal Revenue Service's Free File program.
Payment still required: Folks outside the country didn't have to worry about filing forms back in April.
The June 15 deadline, two months later than the filing due date for those of us within the United States' borders, was automatic.
Taxpayers living abroad, however, were supposed to have paid any due taxes by the April filing date. Although the extension was automatic, it didn't extend the payment deadline.
The IRS expects all U.S. taxpayers regardless of where they hang their hats, to pay their tax bills in April.
Extensions, automatic or requested, only give you more time to file your forms, not more time to pay taxes you owe.
For taxpayers abroad who don't pay, the Internal Revenue Service waives penalty charges, but is still starts assessing interest due from the April filing deadline. Missing the June deadlline will add penalty charges to that running tab.
Getting even more time: OK, you've had two extra months to get your tax filing act together, but that's still not happening. What now?
You, like your taxpaying peers in the United States proper, can ask for even more time.
Just file the usual request for an extension, Form 4868, to give you until Oct. 15 to submit your tax return.
Free File users can use that system to request an extension or it can be downloaded from the IRS website and mailed.
Combat location tax considerations: Some military filers also get additional time to file.
If you are serving in a combat zone or in a contingency operation, or are hospitalized as a result of an injury received while serving in such an area or operation, you qualify for deadline extensions.
The deadlines for filing tax returns, paying taxes, filing claims for refund and taking other actions with the IRS are extended to at least 180 days after you leave the designated combat zone or contingency operation.
You can contact the IRS directly with your request for combat zone deadline relief via the special email address at combatzone@irs.gov.
Servicemen and women also should check out the IRS' special Web page with tax information for members for the military.
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