It's official. IRS has announced in Notice 2019-17 an extension to the March 1 deadline for farmers who did not make estimated tax payments by January 15, 2019. Under this Notice, farmers have until April 15 (April 17 in Maine or Massachusetts) to file their 2018 returns and pay in full any tax due. The Notice waives the IRC section 6654 penalty for failure to make estimated tax payments for these farmers and fishermen, but the relief must be requested. 

Farmers and fishermen requesting the waiver of the addition to tax must attach Form 2210-F, Underpayment of Estimated Tax by Farmers and Fishermen, to their 2018 tax return. The form can be submitted electronically or on paper. The taxpayer’s name and identifying number should be entered at the top of the form, and the waiver box (Part I, Box A) should be checked. The rest of the form should be left blank. On March 1, IRS issued a correction to its original announcement and provided updated instructions for Form 2210-F.

Note:  If a farmer has already filed a return, but wishes to take advantage of the extension to delay payment to April 15, an amended return can be filed with the Form 2210-F attached. According to IRM 21.6.7.4.10, such an amendment (filed before the due date of the return) is considered a superseding return and will be processed as such. In other words, the taxpayer should be able to delay payment and avoid the penalty. Waiting for an IRS notice of deficiency and responding with a request for relief may not yield the same result.