Haven't filed your taxes yet? Missed the deadline? Here's what the IRS says to do next
The April 15 federal tax deadline has come and gone, but the IRS says you should still submit your tax return soon if you haven't already.
Missed the Tax Day deadline? Here's what happens if you delay filing.
You could be subject to penalties and interest if you don't file and pay your taxes by the April 15 deadline.
After Tax Day, the IRS recommends filing as soon as possible to minimize penalties, especially if you owe money. If you're expecting a refund or don't owe money on your taxes, there's no penalty for filing after the April 15 deadline, but the IRS says taxpayers due a refund should still consider filing as soon as possible.
In states like Kentucky, victims of natural disasters can receive extended tax deadlines, which pushes the deadline back to Nov. 3, 2025.
Taxpayers living overseas, certain military service members and eligible support personnel in combat zones may also have extra time to file their tax returns, per the IRS.
The deadline to request an extension was April 15, which guaranteed six more months (October 15) to file without penalties. However, an extension to file is not an extension to pay if you owe money to the IRS.
If you didn't request an extension, the IRS says you should still file your taxes now and pay as much as possible to help reduce penalties and interest.
The IRS says taxpayers who don't owe tax or are owed a refund won't have to pay penalties for filing after the April 15 deadline, but should still file ASAP.
Those who e-filed tax returns should receive a refund about one month or less from the filing date, according to the IRS. You can typically check your refund status soon after you file using the Where's My Refund tool, downloading the free IRS2Go mobile app or calling 800-829-1954.
The refund tracker displays three status types:
Return received: The IRS has received and is processing your tax return.
Refund approved: If the return is complete and accurate, the IRS will approve and prepare to issue a refund.
Refund sent: The refund was sent to your bank or the IRS sent a check through the mail.
A refund status will appear 24 hours after you e-file a current-year return, three to four days after e-filing a prior-year return, or four weeks after you file a paper return.
Typically, it takes up to 21 days to process an e-filed return, or longer for amended returns and returns sent by mail. The IRS recommends direct deposits as the fastest way to get your refund, rather than a mailed paper check that can take weeks to arrive.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Missed the Tax Day 2025 deadline? Here's what the IRS says to do
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