It’s tax season. Deadlines are days away. You’ve emailed, called, and even texted your tax preparer… and nothing.
If you’re a business owner, this isn’t just stressful—it can become expensive fast. Late filing penalties from the Internal Revenue Service can stack up quickly if you miss key deadlines.
Here’s the reality: if you can’t get a hold of your tax professional, it’s because it is extension time.
If your tax preparer is unresponsive, filing a tax extension is the safest move to avoid penalties. Most established tax firms automatically file extensions for existing clients—but if you’ve started a new business entity or haven’t communicated changes, you may not be covered.
The key is simple: confirm an extension is filed for both your business and personal returns—or file one immediately.
Answer: File or confirm a tax extension immediately to protect yourself from penalties.
If your CPA or tax firm is not responding, assume nothing has been filed until confirmed. Taking action now prevents unnecessary risk.
A tax extension is a formal request submitted to the Internal Revenue Service that gives you additional time—typically 6 months—to file your tax return.
Important: An extension gives you more time to file, not more time to pay.
If you’ve worked with the same tax professional for years, you’re likely already covered—but never assume.
Most accounting firms:
If your situation changed and your tax professional doesn’t know—you may NOT be covered.
You must notify your tax preparer immediately, or risk missing required filings.
If you recently formed:
…and didn’t inform your tax professional, they cannot file an extension for something they don’t know exists.
A person working as a construction contractor forms a new LLC in June, they have been using the same CPA or Enrolled Agent for years. Come March, the tax professional files an extension for the personal return—but misses the partnership return if there are more than one partners (Form 1065) because they were never informed.
Result:
It depends on your entity type.
Do not forget if you have a state requirements, also to extend with your state.
Do not forget if you have a state requirements, also to extend with your state.
Smart business owners treat extensions as a risk management tool, not a last resort.
Filing an extension:
For high-income earners and construction companies with multiple projects, accuracy matters more than speed.
If you haven’t filed yet, do this immediately:
Yes—many firms file extensions for existing clients as a standard process. However, this only applies if your information is current and complete.
You may face late filing penalties, which can be significant for businesses, especially partnerships and S-corps. These are calculated per partner, per month.
No. The IRS still expects payment by the original deadline. Extensions only apply to filing, not payment. Always make your estimated payments, this will save you and your tax pro headaches.
You must notify your tax preparer. If they don’t know about the entity, they won’t file an extension for it. They will ask a few question to see if it is a partnership or a disregarded entity. Make sure you answers are accurate, this will determine if an extension should be file or not.
If you’re unsure whether your extensions were filed—or you’ve recently started a new business—now is the time to act. A quick check today can save you thousands in penalties tomorrow.
