Taxes Information

How To Get An Extension To File Your Business Tax Returns


Yes, the tax season is upon with the first filing date for some businesses being March 15, 2005. If you can't imagine getting your tax returns together by that date, you need not worry. The IRS automatically gives you an extension if your file the appropriate form. As you might expect, there are different forms for different businesses.

An Important Note

It is vitally important that you understand that an extension to file taxes is not an extension to PAY taxes. The IRS will give you a break on the filing date, but it wants the money now! If you anticipate that you will owe taxes, you need to send in the appropriate payment. Failure to do so could result in interest charges when you eventually get around to filing your returns.

Corporations

If you conduct business as a corporation with a fiscal year-end of December 31st, you are required to file your 2004 tax returns on or before March 15, 2005. You can get an automatic extension, however, by filing form 7004 before the March 15 deadline. Form 7004 applies both to "C" and "S" corporations and grants you an automatic 6-month extension to September 15, 2005.

While this automatic extension applies to "S" corporations, you should be aware of a quirk in the tax code. Since "S" corporations "pass through" taxes to your personal returns, the six-month extension is really only a five-month extension. To file your personal tax returns, you must report information from the K-1 issued from the "S" corporation. Unfortunately, the IRS only grants automatic extensions for filing personal tax returns to August 15, 2005.

Limited Liability Company

The IRS has never really figured out to how to handle limited liability companies. It has settled on a policy of avoiding the issue and simply treating the entity as a corporation or partnership.

Limited liability companies with more than one owner typically elect to be treated as partnerships for tax purposes. If this describes your situation, the LLC is required to file tax returns by April 15, 2005. You can obtain a 3-month extension by filing form 8736. Although form 8736 contains language regarding partnerships, you will still use this form since the IRS classifies you as a partnership for tax purposes.

If you are the sole owner of an LLC, you may be in for a surprise. The IRS doesn't recognize LLCs owned by one person. Instead, it simply considers you a sole proprietor and the rules for sole proprietorships apply. These are discussed below.

Partnership

If your business is a partnership, you are required to file tax returns by April 15, 2005. You can use form 8736 to obtain a 3-month extension.

Self-Employed/Sole-Proprietor

If you are not using a business entity, your business tax information should be reported on your personal tax return. The due date for filing your personal tax returns is April 15, 2005. You can obtain a four-month extension by filing form 4868.

Summary

Regardless of how your business is organized, the IRS will automatically grant you an extension to file your tax returns. By sending in the appropriate form, you can avoid a mad rush that will inevitably result in missing deductions and overpaying your taxes. Just make sure you pay any taxes you anticipate owing by the appropriate date.

Richard Chapo is CEO of http://www.businesstaxrecovery.com

Obtaining tax refunds for small businesses by finding overlooked tax deductions and credits through a free tax return review.


MORE RESOURCES:


Take Advantage of Unique Tax Planning Strategies
MarketWatch (press release)
NEWARK, NJ, Mar 15, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- This tax season provides some unique planning opportunities for retirement and financial planning purposes, ...
Poll question: What will you do with your tax refund?Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog)
Traditional IRAs: Savings vehicles with tax advantagesBrazil Times (blog)
Roth IRAs: The Right Retirement Tool for You?FOXBusiness
Financial News USA (press release) -Honolulu Star-Bulletin -InvestmentNews
all 26 news articles »


KOMO News

Amazon Cuts Off Colorado Affiliates Over Taxes
RetailWire (registration)
Amazon previously cut off affiliates in Rhode Island and North Carolina when the states passed online sales tax laws. These state laws argued an online ...
Amazon reacts to new Colo tax, costing affiliatesThe Associated Press
Amazon, States, & Merchants:Internet Evolution
Legislative push aims to tax Internet sales in CaliforniaSacramento Bee
Las Vegas Sun -Longmont Daily Times-Call -Seattle Times
all 156 news articles »


ABC News

IRS offers help paying taxes
Washington Post
When you have 140 million individual tax returns, "you need to be continually looking at ways to serve people," Shulman said. "This effort continues my ...
Record Number of Tax Filers Owed No Taxes in 2008New York Times (blog)
Tax breaks can help when you lose your jobUSA Today
Time Is Running Out to Collect 2006 RefundWall Street Journal
AHN | All Headline News -JD Supra (press release) -San Jose Mercury News
all 491 news articles »


FEATURE-Cos lobby against Obama bid for more tax documents
Reuters
The IRS in January proposed mandating that companies estimate maximum federal tax liability associated with each "uncertain" tax position taken. ...

and more »


Hawaii lawmakers consider tax hikes, other issues
BusinessWeek
Hawaii's lawmakers have reached the halfway point of this year's legislative session, with one law signed so far and about a dozen tax increase proposals ...

and more »


Kansas business leaders urge state senators not to raise state sales tax
Kansas City Star
AP TOPEKA | Business leaders are telling a Kansas Senate committee that they oppose an increase in the state's sales tax. The Senate Assessment and Taxation ...
Sales tax on food would goTopeka Capital Journal
Statehouse Live: Committee chair unveils proposal to increase sales levy ...Lawrence Journal World
Tax increases on deckTopeka Capital Journal

all 10 news articles »


Boston Globe

Social Security: 'Here It Comes'
istockAnalyst.com (press release)
For decades government has cooked its books by stealing the Social Security taxes you pay. This was the infamous "lock box" debate had during Gore's ...
Social Security to start cashing Uncle Sam's IOUsThe Associated Press
Time to Pay the IOUs out of the 'Lock Box'Big Government (blog)
Things to Consider When Thinking About Social SecurityThe Quincy Cove
Christian Broadcasting Network -AFL-CIO (blog)
all 311 news articles »


Q&A: How Obama's Medicare tax plan works
msnbc.com
President Barack Obama, to help pay for his health care overhaul package, is proposing that high-income Americans pay Medicare taxes ...

and more »


Texas Tribune

White unfazed by Perry's anti-tax-hike pledge
Houston Chronicle
Rick Perry, who signed an anti-tax-increase pledge, is making hay over Democrat Bill White's refusal to rule out a tax hike. But that doesn't guarantee ...
Read My LapseTexas Tribune

all 6 news articles »

Google News

home | site map
© 2006