Form 5472 Extension: How to Get More Time (Form 7004)
Yes — file Form 7004 by April 15 to extend your Form 5472 deadline to October 15. Foreign-owned LLCs can't e-file it. Here's exactly how, step by step.
July 5, 2026 · 7 min read · Form5472 Prep
Last updated: July 2026
Yes — you can extend the Form 5472 deadline by filing Form 7004 by the original due date (April 15 for calendar-year filers), which moves your filing deadline to October 15. Because your Form 5472 attaches to a pro forma Form 1120, you enter the Form 1120 code on Form 7004, write "Foreign-owned U.S. DE" across the top, and fax or mail it — a foreign-owned disregarded entity cannot e-file. An extension gives you more time to file; it does not remove the obligation, and it can't help once April 15 has passed.
Form 7004 is the IRS's "Application for Automatic Extension of Time To File Certain Business Income Tax, Information, and Other Returns." For a foreign-owned US single-member LLC, it extends the deadline for the pro forma Form 1120 that Form 5472 is attached to. If you're worried about the April 15 deadline, filing the extension buys you six months — but only if you act before the deadline, and you can start your filing now in about 15 minutes instead.
Can you get an extension for Form 5472?
Yes. A foreign-owned US disregarded entity that is required to file Form 5472 can request an extension of time to file by submitting Form 7004 by the return's regular due date (IRS, Instructions for Form 5472). Approved, it extends the filing deadline by six months.
For a calendar-year filer, that timeline is:
- April 15, 2026 — original deadline to file Form 5472 + pro forma Form 1120 for the 2025 tax year (and the deadline to file Form 7004 for an extension).
- October 15, 2026 — extended deadline, if Form 7004 was filed on time.
One critical limit: Form 7004 must be filed by the original due date. If April 15 has already passed and you did not file an extension, you cannot extend after the fact — you are now filing late, which is a different process (covered below).
How do you file a Form 5472 extension step by step?
A foreign-owned US disregarded entity files the extension a specific way, and getting it wrong means it isn't accepted. Start from the official IRS Form 7004 and follow these steps:
- Complete Form 7004 and enter the Form 1120 code on Part I, line 1 — the code for the return your Form 5472 attaches to.
- Write "Foreign-owned U.S. DE" across the top of Form 7004, exactly as you do on the return itself.
- Fax it to the IRS at +1-855-887-7737 (the IRS Ogden PIN Unit fax) or mail it to the address in the Form 5472 instructions. A foreign-owned U.S. DE cannot e-file Form 7004.
- Send it by the regular due date — April 15 for calendar-year filers (excluding extensions). The postmark or fax timestamp is what counts.
- Keep the fax confirmation as proof you filed on time. Your new filing deadline is October 15.
The instruction that trips people up is the code: because the disregarded entity itself doesn't file an 1120, filers assume there's no code to enter. The IRS is explicit that the Form 1120 code goes on Form 7004, Part I, line 1.
What does a Form 5472 extension actually do?
An extension is narrower than most people think. It buys time to file — nothing more. Here is what it does and does not do:
| The extension… | Reality |
|---|---|
| Extends time to file the return | ✓ Yes — six months, to October 15 for calendar-year filers |
| Extends time to pay tax | Not applicable to most — a foreign-owned US disregarded entity with no US-source income owes $0 US federal income tax, so there is nothing to pay |
| Reduces or removes the $25,000 penalty | ✗ No — only actually filing a complete Form 5472 avoids the penalty |
| Helps if you already missed April 15 | ✗ No — a late filing goes through DIIRSP, not an extension |
The penalty exists to punish not filing, not filing later within an approved window. Under IRC § 6038A(d), the IRS assesses $25,000 on any reporting corporation that fails to file Form 5472 when due (including extensions) or files a substantially incomplete one (IRS, Instructions for Form 5472). An extension moves the "when due" date; it does not weaken the penalty if you still don't file.
Already missed the April 15 deadline?
If April 15 has passed and you didn't file Form 7004, an extension is off the table — but you are not stuck. The IRS provides the Delinquent International Information Return Submission Procedure (DIIRSP) for exactly this situation. You file the delinquent Form 5472 + pro forma 1120 with a reasonable cause statement explaining why it was late, and request that the penalty be abated.
Most well-documented, first-time late filings by foreign owners are accepted under DIIRSP without a penalty assessed, though there is no formal IRS guarantee. The key is filing promptly and completely — the longer a return goes unfiled after an IRS notice, the more the continuation penalty stacks. Our guide on what to do when you've filed late or never filed walks through the DIIRSP path in detail.
Skip the extension — file in 15 minutes instead
For most foreign-owned single-member LLCs, filing Form 5472 is faster than filing the extension to delay it. There's no income to calculate and no documents to gather beyond your entity details and year-end totals — so an extension often just moves a 15-minute task six months down the road.
Form5472 Prep generates the complete package (cover letter, pro forma Form 1120, Form 5472, Part V supporting statement, and a reasonable-cause statement if you're already late), an accountant reviews it, and we fax it to the IRS Ogden PIN Unit with a timestamped receipt as proof of filing. Pricing is a flat $199 (Standard), $279 (Rush, 24-hour turnaround), or $449 (Premium, same-day), with fax delivery included and +$149 per additional past year for DIIRSP catch-up. See full pricing or start your filing now.
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreign-owned LLC file a Form 5472 extension?
Yes. A foreign-owned US disregarded entity requests an extension by filing Form 7004 by the return's original due date, entering the Form 1120 code on Part I, line 1, and writing "Foreign-owned U.S. DE" across the top. It extends the filing deadline to October 15 for calendar-year filers.
Can I e-file Form 7004 for a foreign-owned disregarded entity?
No. A foreign-owned U.S. DE cannot e-file Form 7004. The IRS requires you to fax it to +1-855-887-7737 or mail it to the address in the Form 5472 instructions, by the regular due date of the return.
When is the Form 5472 extension deadline?
For a calendar-year filer, Form 7004 must be filed by April 15. If filed on time, it extends the Form 5472 + pro forma 1120 deadline to October 15 of the same year.
Does a Form 5472 extension avoid the $25,000 penalty?
No. An extension only extends the time to file. The $25,000 penalty under IRC § 6038A applies if you fail to file a complete Form 5472 by the due date, including any approved extension. Only filing the return avoids the penalty.
What if I already missed the Form 5472 deadline?
An extension can't be filed after the due date. Instead, file the delinquent Form 5472 + pro forma 1120 under the IRS's DIIRSP, with a reasonable-cause statement requesting penalty abatement. Filing promptly and completely gives the strongest case for no penalty.
The bottom line
You can extend your Form 5472 deadline to October 15 by faxing Form 7004 — with the Form 1120 code and "Foreign-owned U.S. DE" across the top — by April 15. But an extension only buys time to file; it doesn't reduce the $25,000 penalty, and it's useless once the deadline has passed. Since the filing itself takes about 15 minutes, most owners are better off just getting it done.
Don't want to think about deadlines at all? File your Form 5472 now → — accountant-reviewed, faxed to the IRS, flat $199.