An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | April 4, 2011

Some servicemembers qualify for extended tax filing deadline

By Elaine Sanchez American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON - Service members serving outside of the United States -- including those supporting operations in Libya and Japan -- will receive an automatic two-month tax filing extension this year, officials said April 1.

This extension is in addition to the nation’s already extended deadline. Due to Emancipation Day, a holiday recognized by the District of Columbia, government officials have pushed the nation’s tax filing deadline from April 15 to April 18.

Deployed service members already receive an automatic 180-day extension from the last day served in the deployed location, plus the number of days remaining to file before entering that location, officials said.

This extension includes filing taxes or paying them, and interest doesn’t accrue on any taxes owed.

However, several operations don’t qualify for the 180-day extension, officials said, including Operation Tomodachi in Japan and operations in Libya. Instead, service members supporting these operations are entitled to receive a two-month extension, pushing the tax filing deadline to June 15.

Also eligible are service members serving outside of the United States, and U.S. citizens and residents living and working outside of the United States.

Service members and their spouses who file a joint return both qualify for the extension, but if filing separately, each spouse must qualify separately.

Taxpayers eligible for the extension should keep in mind that the extension applies to filing and paying taxes, officials said. If taxes are owed, they still will accrue interest from the April 18 deadline.

 People who qualify for the two-month extension are still eligible even if physically present in the United States or Puerto Rico on April 18, officials added.

 

To use the extension, people must attach a statement to their return explaining which situation qualifies them for an extension, officials said. If filing at a military tax center, the tax preparer can enter the explanation on the electronic return.

All taxpayers can request a six-month extension to file if they can’t file by the April 18 due date by filing a Form 4868, which is available on the Internal Revenue Service website at http://www.irs.gov. They’ll have until Oct. 17 to file, but must pay any owed tax by April 18 or face penalties and interest charges.

People who qualify for the automatic two-month extension but need more time to file also may request an additional four months to file by filing a Form 4868 and checking Block 8: “Out of the country.” They’ll also have until Oct. 17 to file, but payment is still due on June 15, and if taxes are owed, the interest will accrue from April 18.

For tax preparation help, service members and their spouses have a host of free, expert tax-preparation services at their disposal, from on-base centers to online software, said Army Lt. Col. Evan Stone, director of the Armed Forces Tax Council.

People can visit most any installation around the world for free, in-person tax-preparation assistance through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, Stone said.

Service members and their families also can take advantage of free, online electronic tax filing services through Military OneSource.

The customized program offers free federal filing and free filing for up to three states.

People can access the H&R Block at Home program by going to Military OneSource at http://www.militaryonesource.com/ and clicking on "Tax Filing Services.”

For free tax-related phone consultations, people can call the Military OneSource Tax Hotline at 1-800-730-3802 seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. EDT.

The online program is open to active duty Army, Navy, Marine and Air Force personnel; Guard and Reserve service members regardless of activation status; as well as spouses, dependent children and family members standing in for a deployed service member.

Whether filing in person or online, Stone suggested people take advantage of the free advice offered at military tax centers.

“Even the simplest return may have issues or deductions or credits that a person might not be aware of,” he said.

For more on military-related tax laws, people should visit the Military OneSource website or the IRS website, which features a section for service members and their families.

 

 

Related Articles
Lt. Col. Zachery Powell cuts the ribbon at the Idaho Air National Guard’s 124th Medical ribbon cutting ceremony April 17, 2025, at Gowen Field in Boise, Idaho, to mark the opening of a new Medical Training Facility. The building, which provides laboratories, exam rooms, administrative areas, classrooms, record storage, and mobility-training storage for the 124th Fighter Wing’s 124th Medical Group, was completed in March 2025.
Idaho Air National Guard Opens Medical Training Facility
By Staff Sgt. Jadyn Eisenbrandt  | April 18, 2025
GOWEN FIELD, Idaho —The Idaho Air National Guard held a ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday to mark the opening of a new Medical Training Facility on Gowen Field for the 124th Fighter Wing.The building, which provides...

U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Steven Lucas, a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter standardization instructor with F Company, 1st Battalion, 111th Aviation Regiment, Maryland Army National Guard, performs rescue hoist operations aboard a Black Hawk in collaboration with the Maryland Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, April 9, 2025. MD-HART is made up of firefighters who routinely train with the Maryland Army Guard in preparation for response efforts during the hurricane season, tropical storms, and other emergency situations.
Maryland National Guard conducts rescue hoist training with Maryland Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team
By Staff Sgt. Amber Peck, | April 18, 2025
EDGEWOOD, Md. — Soldiers with the 29th Combat Aviation Brigade, Maryland Army National Guard conducted rescue hoist training with the Maryland Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, April 9...

Soldiers from the Louisiana National Guard’s 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team are honored during a deployment ceremony at the Cajundome Convention Center in Lafayette, Louisiana, April 13, 2025. Approximately 700 Soldiers are deploying in support of Operation Joint Guardian in Kosovo and Operation Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa, where they will provide security and support operations.
La. Guard’s ‘Tiger Brigade’ holds deployment ceremony for overseas mission
By Louisiana National Guard | April 18, 2025
PINEVILLE, La. - About 700 Soldiers from the Louisiana National Guard’s 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, known as the “Tiger Brigade,” were honored last week during a deployment ceremony.The Guardsmen are deploying to...