When it comes to filing and paying your federal and state taxes for 2022, there’s good news and bad news. The good news is that you have until Tuesday, April 18th, to file — April 15th is a Saturday, while the following Monday is Emancipation Day, which is an official holiday in Washington, DC. 

The bad news is: you still have to file.

If you won’t be able to file your taxes by then — because of a family emergency, a large work project, or simple procrastination — what do you do? Well, one thing you don’t do is panic. You can file for an extension, and it won’t take long.

If you’re an individual (and let’s assume you are), you can file for an extension easily online by filling out Form 4868 using the IRS’s Free File program. (Filing an extension is free no matter what your income level is.) Some things to keep in mind:

Update January 24th, 2023, 4:12PM ET: This article was originally published on July 14th, 2020, and has been updated to change dates and other information for tax year 2022.