Deadline context: The IRS says individuals who timely requested a 2026 extension generally have until October 15, 2026 to file. The extension gives more time to file, not more time to pay tax that was due by the original deadline.
Do not spend the extension period staring at the same wrong-looking total
Use the remaining time to reconstruct the evidence behind the form. The fastest useful sequence is to separate proceeds, basis, transfers and software classification.
Record-gathering order
- Download every tax form version. Keep the original and any later version.
- Export each exchange/broker transaction history. Do not rely only on summary totals.
- List every outside wallet and exchange used in 2025.
- Match transfers. Pair outgoing and incoming records and preserve transaction hashes where available.
- Recover original acquisitions. Purchase date, price, fees and source platform.
- Review software imports. Look for duplicate accounts, missing wallets and misclassified transfers.
- Create an unresolved-items list. Give a professional the specific gaps rather than a pile of files.
What not to do
- Do not treat gross proceeds as taxable profit.
- Do not use a made-up zero or guessed basis just to make software reconcile.
- Do not assume a transferred deposit was income without reviewing the transaction.
- Do not wait until October 15 to start reconstructing wallet history.
Turn the record hunt into a checklist
Primary source
IRS: If you need more time to file, request an extension. The deadline information here is federal and general; state deadlines and individual circumstances can differ.