US Expatriates Living and Working Abroad Get Automatic Extension of Time to File Return until 6/15/11 - All Others due 4/18/11

Your tax return is due on 4/18/11 for the 2010 tax year. You can extend your return and pay in any tax due (to avoid interest and penalties on late payment) by filing Form 4868.  You may also need an extension for state tax purposes if you owe taxes to any US state. You need to refer to the tax rules of each particular state to determine how to extend that tax return.

However, if you are a US expatriate living and working abroad on 4/18/11, you get an automatic extension of time to file your 2010 personal return until 6/15/11 and then that expatriate return can be extended until 10/15/11 using Form 4868.

It is important to extend your return because the late filing penalty for non extended returns is 5% per month of any tax due with that return up to a maximum of 25%.  The penalty for paying taxes late, if you file an extension, is only 1/2 % per month an a small interest charge.