Form 7004 is the extension request for most business, trust, and information returns. One form covers more than thirty return types, and the only real decision is the form code on Part I, line 1. Get the code wrong and the extension attaches to the wrong return.
The codes you will actually use
- 09: Form 1065, partnerships and multi-member LLCs. Due March 15 for calendar years. Extension to September 15.
- 25: Form 1120-S, S corporations. Due March 15. Extension to September 15.
- 12: Form 1120, C corporations. Due April 15 for calendar years. Extension to October 15.
- 04: Form 1041 for an estate and 05: Form 1041 for a trust. Due April 15. The extension is five and a half months, to September 30.
- Less common returns (1041-N, 1042, 1120-F, 8804, and others) have their own codes and, in some cases, their own due dates. Check the code table on the form.
Fiscal-year filers count from their own year end: generally the 15th day of the third month for partnerships and S corporations, and the fourth month for C corporations, with a June 30 year end getting special treatment.
What the form asks
Entity name, address, EIN, the form code, the tax year, tentative total tax, total payments and credits, and balance due. For pass-through entities the tax lines are usually zero. For C corporations they matter: the extension does not extend the payment.
How it is granted
Automatically, if filed by the original due date. The IRS does not send an approval. It sends a notice only if the request was rejected, usually for a mismatched EIN or name.
Common mistake
Filing one Form 7004 for an S corporation and assuming it covers the shareholders. It extends the 1120-S only. Each shareholder still needs Form 4868 for their own return.
Ready to file it?
You can file a business extension (Form 7004) online in a few minutes with TaxExtension.com, an IRS-authorized e-file provider operated by our publisher. The extension is automatic; the payment is still due on the original date.