PARTNERSHIP, S-CORP AND TRUST EXTENSIONS END SEPTEMBER 16

Article Highlights

• September 16 is the extended due date for partnership, S-corporation, and trust tax returns.
• Late-filing penalty for partnerships and S-corporations is $195 times the number of partners or shareholders during any part of the taxable year, for each month or fraction of a month.
• Late-filing penalty for trust returns is 5% of the tax due for each month, or part of a month, for which a return is not filed up to a maximum of 25% of the tax due.

If you have a calendar year 2012 partnership, S-corporation, or trust return on extension, don’t forget the extension for filing those returns ends on September 16, 2013.

Pass-through entities such as Partnerships, S-corporations, and fiduciaries (trusts, estates) pass their income, deductions, credits, etc., through to their investors, partners, or beneficiaries, who in turn report the various items on their individual tax returns. Partnerships file Form 1065, S-corps file Form 1120-S, and Fiduciaries file Form 1041, with each partner, shareholder, or beneficiary receiving a Schedule K-1 from the entity that shows their share of the reportable items.

If all of the aforementioned entities could obtain an automatic extension to file their returns on the same extended date as allowed to individuals, it would be difficult for individuals to meet the filing deadline without estimating the pass-through information and then later filing an amended return when the actual data was received.

To overcome this problem, the automatic extension period for partnerships and trusts is set at 5 months, thus providing individual taxpayers with a month’s grace period to complete their individual 1040 returns. The original due date for calendar year S-corporation returns was March 15, and they are allowed a 6-month extension period, making the due date for these returns also September 16. Thus, individual S-corp shareholders also have a month to finish up their individual returns.

An S-corporation or partnership which fails to file on time is liable for a monthly penalty equal to $195 times the number of persons who were partners, or shareholders for S corps, during any part of the taxable year, for each month or fraction of a month for which the failure continues. These penalties can be substantial.

Trusts are subject to a penalty of 5% of the tax due for each month, or part of a month, for which a return is not filed up to a maximum of 25% of the tax due.

If this office is waiting for some missing information to complete your pass-through return, we will need that information at least a week before the September 16 due date. The late-filing penalties are substantial, so please call this office immediately if there are anticipated complications related to providing the needed information so a course of action can be determined to avoid the potential penalties.