File Your Form 1040-NR Extension Online With Form 4868

If you expect to file Form 1040-NR but cannot complete it by the regular deadline, Form 4868 is generally the IRS form used to request additional filing time. Form 4868 covers Form 1040-NR and generally provides up to six additional months to file.

Form 4868 for Form 1040-NR gives eligible nonresident filers additional time to complete and submit their federal income tax return. It is important to file the extension by the regular deadline that applies to your Form 1040-NR.

You normally do not need to explain why you need the extension. You do need to make a reasonable estimate of your federal tax liability using the information available and submit Form 4868 by the deadline that applies to your return.

Before requesting a Form 1040-NR extension, make sure Form 1040-NR is actually the return you expect to file. Immigration or visa status alone does not determine U.S. tax residency. Federal tax residency can depend on rules such as the green card test, substantial presence test, treaty provisions, and dual-status rules.

The Form 1040-NR extension deadline depends on whether you received wages as an employee that were subject to U.S. income tax withholding.

The IRS confirms that a 2025 calendar-year Form 1040-NR is generally due April 15, 2026, for an employee who received wages subject to U.S. withholding. If those wages were not received, the return is generally due June 15, 2026.

What does Form 4868 Line 9 mean?

Form 4868 Line 9 is specifically for Form 1040-NR filers whose return is due June 15 because they did not receive wages subject to U.S. income tax withholding.

Do not confuse Line 9 with Line 8. Line 8 applies to qualifying U.S. citizens or residents who are considered out of the country.

Special rules may change the deadline for fiscal-year filers, taxpayers affected by disaster relief, combat-zone service, or certain dual-status filers.

You do not need to finish Form 1040-NR before submitting Form 4868. However, you need enough information to identify yourself and make a reasonable estimate of your tax liability.

Helpful records may include Forms W-2 and 1042-S, applicable Forms 1099, Schedule K-1 information, estimated-tax payment records, and records related to effectively connected income or other U.S.-source income.

What if you do not have an ITIN yet?

An ITIN is not required simply to request an extension. If you do not yet have an ITIN, the IRS instructs you to mail Form 4868 and enter “ITIN TO BE REQUESTED” wherever an SSN is requested.

Do not submit Form W-7 with Form 4868. The ITIN application is generally handled with the income tax return when required.

Fiscal-year taxpayers generally must file Form 4868 on paper rather than electronically. For eligible calendar-year filers, EZExtension supports electronic Form 4868 filing for Form 1040-NR and provides a guided filing flow with review and status-tracking capabilities.

Step 1: Start your Form 4868 filing

Select the individual extension process for the Form 1040-NR you expect to file.

Step 2: Enter your identifying information

Provide your legal name, taxpayer identification information, and mailing address. A Form 1040-NR filer may have a U.S. or foreign address.

Step 3: Check whether Line 9 applies

Form 1040-NR has one specific item to check on Form 4868. If you did not receive wages subject to U.S. income tax withholding, check Line 9. This identifies you as a Form 1040-NR filer whose return is generally due June 15.

Step 4: Enter your estimated tax amounts

Enter the tax you expect to owe, any withholding or payments already made, the remaining balance, and how much you are paying with Form 4868.

Step 5: Review and eFile

Before filing, check your personal information, due date, tax estimate, and payment amount for errors.

Form 4868 requires a reasonable estimate rather than a completed Form 1040-NR.

If your estimated payments exceed your estimated tax, enter zero as the balance due. The IRS also states that you can still receive the filing extension if you cannot pay the full estimated balance, although interest and possible late-payment penalties can apply to the unpaid tax.

Remember that more time to file does not generally mean more time to pay. For an April-deadline filer, tax is generally due April 15. For a June-deadline Form 1040-NR filer, the applicable payment deadline generally follows that return due date.

After filing, save the IRS acknowledgment and a copy of the Form 4868 you submitted. Keep the payment record too, if you made a payment.

If the IRS rejects the filing, check the reason, fix the error, and send the form again.

Also, continue preparing Form 1040-NR. Form 4868 extends the filing deadline, but it does not replace the final income tax return.

Other international filings may follow different rules. Form 4868 should not be treated as a blanket extension for every international tax or information-reporting obligation.

Form 8843 filed with Form 1040-NR generally follows the return’s extended due date, while Form 8833 is attached to the return when required. Form 8840 follows its own filing instructions, and FBAR has a separate filing and extension process. Form 8938, when required, generally follows the due date of the income tax return, including an extension.

State extension rules are separate. Filing Form 4868 does not always extend a state nonresident return or state tax payment deadline. Check the rules for each state where you need to file.