Officially, the IRS does not accept new e-file returns after midnight on October 15. We don’t know if there is an unofficial grace period. If your tax return is rejected, you will have to print it out and mail it in. Be sure to watch your email and check your online account each day over the next five days to make sure that you know if your tax return is accepted or rejected by the IRS and by your state tax agency.
If you did not qualify for free filing with TurboTax, you will be charged the program fee even if your return is rejected because it is late. The fee covers both preparation and e-filing, and there is no extra or separate charge for e-filing, and since you have prepared a tax return that you can print and mail, you will not get a refund if you can’t e-file.
If you owe income tax, the IRS can technically charge you a penalty of 5% of the amount you owe even if you are only one day late. You will have to wait and see if they actually charge you. We don’t know if there might be an unofficial grace period.
