Extend your 2026 return
Extension dates and rules, federal and Louisiana. As of November 2026.
The extension dates
| Date | Level | What |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 15, 2027 | Federal | Individual return for tax year 2026 |
| May 17, 2027 | Louisiana | Individual income tax return for tax year 2026 May 15 falls on a Saturday, so the 2027 due date is Monday, May 17. |
| Oct 15, 2027 | Federal | Extended deadline for 2026 individual returns The extension moves the filing deadline, not the April payment deadline. |
How extensions work
Federal: Form 4868 moves the filing deadline for a 2026 calendar-year return from April 15, 2027 to October 15, 2027. It does not extend time to pay; tax owed is due by the April deadline. The late-filing penalty the form avoids runs 5 percent of unpaid tax per month, up to 25 percent, with a minimum of $525 once a return is more than 60 days late.
Louisiana: individuals get a six-month automatic extension of time to file; no paper or electronic extension form is needed. The Department of Revenue says it plainly: an extension does not extend time to pay. The 2026 return is due Monday, May 17, 2027 (May 15 falls on a Saturday), and tax paid after the due date draws interest and delinquent payment penalties.
Louisiana corporations: the CIFT-620 return gets an automatic six-month extension to file when a federal extension was timely requested, and the CIFT-620EXT-V voucher sends payment with the extension.
What we do
We prepare the return behind the extension, and when an extension is really a symptom of unfiled years, we handle the catch-up filing, reading your IRS transcripts before anyone guesses at a number. Every engagement is scoped and quoted before we start.
Extension questions
For 2026 federal returns, Form 4868 is due by April 15, 2027. The IRS publishes the extended deadline as October 15, 2027. Louisiana needs no extension form at all.
No. The IRS and the Louisiana Department of Revenue both say an extension of time to file is not an extension of time to pay. Tax owed is due by the original deadline; later payment draws interest and penalties.
You already have it. Louisiana law grants individuals a six-month automatic extension of time to file, and the Department of Revenue requires no form to claim it. If you are mailing a check with the extension, R-2868V is the payment voucher.
Filing late, or behind?
Call 504-832-1873 or send a note. We respond within one business day.
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