File Extension from Desktop Version

[sallywilkins1]

Have read this and attempted it multiple times. The "search topics" option does not exist, and typing in either "extend" or "extension" opens this help page.

[janetyounathan]

I totally agree with you!!  Here's what worked for me to File an Extension in the Desktop version. 

From TurboTax Desktop, save your return.  Second, select File, New Tax Return to go to the Home page. On the Home page, click on “File an Extension”.  It will walk you through the steps.

[answerer]

You are right:  this is a totally brain dead feature of TurboTax.  It pretty much ruins the entire TurboTax experience, which is otherwise great, for no reason.  It's inexplicable why we must be tortured by this obvious deficiency.  They let you file an extension electronically for free, but it's ridiculously cumbersome and redundant and risky regarding spreading social security numbers around.  Why is being able to print an extension not a seamless part of the program along with everything else?  And why is it so difficult to even find out how to file even an electronic extension?  I wish they would correct this glaring problem, which would be very easy for them to do.

[janetyounathan]

Postal mail is 100% archaic.  Plus, I have no confidence it will actually get to the IRS without tracking.  Why can't TurboTax Desktop allow electronic filing of extensions?

[TaxMD]

The form is a mess. Filled it in 4 times but then it proceeded to try to sell me next year's Turbotax without providing access to any form to send. Poorly designed.

[mesquitebean]

If you are having trouble with TurboTax or don't want to use its extension process, you can rather easily file an extension request electronically at the IRS website a couple of ways.

• You can go to https://www.irs.gov/payments   and after choosing a method, you can indicate that you are paying your expected taxes due toward a 2025 Form 1040, and for reason choose "extension", and you can pay directly from your bank account (or by debit/credit card.) Choose the correct tax year.  When finished, print out your confirmation and save in your records.
• Or if you have an online IRS account, you can sign into your online account at the IRS and then go to the payments section to pay your expected taxes due.   Again, you will be presented a form where you can choose you're paying toward your 2025 Form 1040 and "extension" as the reason for the payment.

NOTE:  There is no fee for the above if you pay directly from your bank account.  There are fees for credit and debit cards.  The credit card fee can be hefty if your tax payment is large, so be careful.  The debit card fee may be more reasonable, but check all that out if you plan to pay by card.

[BondJaneBond]

I am aware of the help from the intuit page.  I see I can fill the extension form.  However, there are no instructions in the intuit turbotax Deluxe desktop license for 2025

[DoninGA]

@BondJaneBond Using the TurboTax desktop editions you can only print and mail the Form 4868 extension request to the IRS.

Click on Federal Taxes (Personal if using Home & Business)

Click on Other Tax Situations

Under Other Tax Forms

On File an extension, click the start button

You could also go to the IRS payment website and make an  extension payment and you get an automatic extension from the IRS - https://www.irs.gov/payments

[tsteele93]

I agree. I found it very frustrating to have to:

1. Search for the topic in Turbo Tax

2. Be given a wrong answer (it said to type "extend" into search topics and "answer Yes on the Applying for an Extension screen and then select Continue." There was no such thing.

3. Search the internet.

4. Arrive at this page and find that it won't file an extension for me.

5. Log in to TurboTax Online.

6. Dodge all the attempts to get me to pay for something I have paid for already.

7. Enter ALL of my personal information again.

8. Dodge more attempts to get me to buy stuff.

9. Finally get an e-mail saying that I have filed an extension.

That's unprofessional and makes TurboTax feel amateurish.

I used to enjoy using TurboTax when there was the video walkthrough with the presenter explaining each step simply and clearly. Now I spend half my time using AI or Google to try to understand what TurboTax is saying to me.

The biggest advantage to TurboTax is that I don't see any better option. But I am increasingly disappointed in the product over recent years. 

I get that taxes are (unnecessarily) complicated and Intuit has to cover a lot of situations. But even simple things like filing an extension become difficult. I suppose this is a deliberate attempt to move us to the web-based version, but I'm more comfortable working with the app/program.

[tsteele93]

Why would you want to do that, when TurboTax offers a simple e-file version of filing for an extension?  As the original author asks, why would we use a 20 year-old method of postal service and paper for something that is as simple as clicking a button on the online version.

I'm not sure why people are playing apologist to Intuit on this topic. It is hard to give a good reason that we shouldn't have the same easy experience filing an extension on the app/program as we have using the online web version.

It is something that Intuit should provide. You should be able to - at any point while preparing your taxes - decide that you want to file an extension while using the program/app and do so. Right now, if you are doing your taxes and decide you need an extension, you either print a paper form and mail it, or you go online, and enter ALL of your personal info AGAIN while dodging repeated attempts to get you to pay for something you already own in order to do something that should be a simple click of a button in the app/program version.

That's not an unreasonable expectation, nor is it an odd or unusual situation for a taxpayer to find themself in.

[FrnkSen]

No, not good enough. TT should provide a direct link to the IRS website to free file an extension.

[tsteele93]

I just did that, and it DOES work. You just have to ignore the attempts to get you to pay and click continue or I'll decide later.

I only say this to be helpful because I just went through it. 🙂

[rajuamin]

I completely agree with Wapella. I have all my information entered in my desktop version of Home & Business. So I should be able to just from Desktop version file an extension. In fact, your help below says the same thing.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/internal-revenue-service/file-irs-extens...

Not only that, when you follow this instructions in Desktop version, it doesn't even tell you that you have to go online (not on desktop) and file the extension. Wasted 20 minutes today trying to search for this. And then I remembered last year, I did the same thing. So I came online.

[pmbrad]

How did you do the extension on the website for your sister?  I am preparing my parents tax return and when i go to the free website it asks me to sign in to Intuit, which prompts the form to use my SSN, It won't let me change it to be an extension for my parents return.