When can you file taxes? IRS announces start date of 2025 tax season
With 2025 well underway and millions of American workers now receiving their W-2 forms from employers, many are wondering when they can begin filing their taxes. The Internal Revenue Service announced that the agency will begin accepting tax returns on Jan. 27, beginning a period in which returns will be accepted that lasts through Tax Day, April 15. The announcement comes with agency in the midst of a massive overhaul, attempting to improve its technology and customer service processes with tens of billions of dollars allocated to the agency through Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law in August 2022. The IRS said it is expanding its program that allows people to file their taxes directly with the agency for free. news Jan 8 New Social Security benefit increases for nearly 3 million Americans may trigger higher tax bill, Medicare premium costs Taxes Jan 7 Tax bracket changes could mean your paycheck is slightly bigger in 2025 — here's what to know The federal tax collector’s Direct File program, which allows taxpayers to calculate and submit their returns to the government directly without using commercial tax preparation software, will be available to taxpayers in 25 states, including Illinois and Wisconsin, starting Jan. 27, up from 12 states that were part of last year’s pilot program. The pilot program in 2024 allowed people in certain states with very simple W-2s to calculate and submit their returns directly to the IRS. Those using the program claimed more than $90 million in refunds, the IRS said in October. The IRS expects most refunds to be issued in less than 21 days. The agency says taxpayers can use Where’s My Refund? to check the status of their 2024 income tax refund within 24 hours of e-filing. Refund information is normally available after four weeks for taxpayers who filed a paper return. The agency also said it expects to maintain levels of service achieved in the past, including wait times of less than 5 minutes for assistance. IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel said the IRS is working to improve public awareness of the Earned Income Tax Credit, stating that nearly 1 in 5 eligible taxpayers don’t claim it because they don’t know about it or realize they qualify. As in past years, the IRS also urges filers to guard against tax scams, stating that bad actors proliferate during filing season, making false promises of tax help or fake threats to get people to pay penalties they don’t owe. Filers can visit IRS.gov and search “scams” for the latest information. Multiyear supplemental funding provided by Congress allows the IRS to maintain its current staffing levels, the commissioner said on the call, adding that the IRS’s technology and tools will stagnate if the funding is eliminated. “This has been a historic period of improvement for the IRS,” Commissioner Werfel said. “More can be done with continued investment in the nation’s tax system.”
With 2025 well underway and millions of American workers now receiving their W-2 forms from employers, many are wondering when they can begin filing their taxes.
The Internal Revenue Service announced that the agency will begin accepting tax returns on Jan. 27, beginning a period in which returns will be accepted that lasts through Tax Day, April 15.
The announcement comes with agency in the midst of a massive overhaul, attempting to improve its technology and customer service processes with tens of billions of dollars allocated to the agency through Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law in August 2022.
The IRS said it is expanding its program that allows people to file their taxes directly with the agency for free.
The federal tax collector’s Direct File program, which allows taxpayers to calculate and submit their returns to the government directly without using commercial tax preparation software, will be available to taxpayers in 25 states, including Illinois and Wisconsin, starting Jan. 27, up from 12 states that were part of last year’s pilot program.
The pilot program in 2024 allowed people in certain states with very simple W-2s to calculate and submit their returns directly to the IRS. Those using the program claimed more than $90 million in refunds, the IRS said in October.
The IRS expects most refunds to be issued in less than 21 days. The agency says taxpayers can use Where’s My Refund? to check the status of their 2024 income tax refund within 24 hours of e-filing. Refund information is normally available after four weeks for taxpayers who filed a paper return.
The agency also said it expects to maintain levels of service achieved in the past, including wait times of less than 5 minutes for assistance.
IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel said the IRS is working to improve public awareness of the Earned Income Tax Credit, stating that nearly 1 in 5 eligible taxpayers don’t claim it because they don’t know about it or realize they qualify.
As in past years, the IRS also urges filers to guard against tax scams, stating that bad actors proliferate during filing season, making false promises of tax help or fake threats to get people to pay penalties they don’t owe. Filers can visit IRS.gov and search “scams” for the latest information.
Multiyear supplemental funding provided by Congress allows the IRS to maintain its current staffing levels, the commissioner said on the call, adding that the IRS’s technology and tools will stagnate if the funding is eliminated.
“This has been a historic period of improvement for the IRS,” Commissioner Werfel said. “More can be done with continued investment in the nation’s tax system.”
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