Part 1 · The US side: residency, filing and everyday issues
Deadlines, extensions, amended returns and IRS notices: an NRI calendar
The dates that matter, the automatic extension for people abroad, what to do about missed years, and how to respond to a CP notice.
5 min read · Rules checked October 30, 2026
Most penalties are about dates. For NRIs there are more dates than for other taxpayers, because Indian assets bring extra forms.
The yearly calendar
| Date | What |
|---|---|
| 15 January | Fourth-quarter estimated tax for the previous year |
| 31 January | W-2 and 1099 forms due to you |
| 15 April | Form 1040 and federal tax due; first-quarter estimate; FBAR due (see below) |
| 15 June | Second-quarter estimate; due date of the return for taxpayers living abroad |
| 15 September | Third-quarter estimate |
| 15 October | Extended return due; FBAR automatic extension ends |
Extensions
Form 4868 gives an automatic six months to file, to 15 October. It does not extend the time to pay, so estimate the tax and send it with the extension, or interest and a late-payment penalty run from April.
US citizens and residents who live outside the US and Puerto Rico on 15 April, or are in military service abroad, automatically get until 15 June to file, and may extend to 15 October. Interest still runs from April.
The FBAR is due 15 April, with an automatic extension to 15 October with no request needed. Form 8938 is part of the return and follows its extension.
Late filing
If you are owed a refund, there is no penalty for filing late, though a refund must be claimed within three years of the due date. If you owe, the late-filing penalty is 5% of the tax due per month, up to 25% (reduced by the late-payment penalty for the same month), and the late-payment penalty is 0.5% a month. The Indian-asset forms (3520, 5471, 8621, 8938) carry separate penalties often starting at $10,000 each, which can far exceed the tax itself.
Missed years
If you realise you have not reported Indian accounts or income in earlier years:
- Get all the returns filed first. Filing before the IRS contacts you counts heavily in your favour.
- For FBAR alone, the delinquent FBAR submission procedure is available if there is no unreported income.
- For taxpayers who did not know and were not wilful, the Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures are available: three years of returns, six years of FBARs. For people in the US there is a penalty of 5% of the highest account balance; for those living abroad, none.
- Do not file "quiet" corrections without a plan. A tax professional should assess the facts first.
Amended returns
Use Form 1040-X within three years of filing (or two years of paying, whichever is later). Typical NRI reasons: a late foreign tax credit, a corrected basis on equity pay, a missed treaty claim.
IRS notices
A letter with a number like CP2000 proposes a change because information on your return does not match what third parties reported. Reply within the deadline stated. Disagree in writing with the supporting documents; a stock basis correction is often the answer. Keep copies of everything and send by a trackable method.
Keep records for at least three years after filing, and for property and long-term holdings, until three years after the asset is sold.
General information, not tax advice. Thresholds, rates and forms are updated every year and your facts may differ. Confirm with a US CPA (and, for Indian filings, an Indian Chartered Accountant) before acting.