The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced Friday that the 2025 tax filing season will begin in earnest later this month.
Tax filing season will begin on Monday, January 27, for taxpayers submitting returns for the fiscal year 2024. The IRS expects to receive more than 140 million individual tax returns by the federal filing deadline for tax year 2024, which is Tuesday, April 15.
The agency also stated that, with approximately half of all returns expected to be filed with the assistance of a tax professional, taxpayers should use a reputable tax professional to avoid potential scams or schemes.
This tax filing season, taxpayers will have access to new tools as part of the IRS’s modernization efforts.
Among the enhancements are increased access to tax account information through text and voice virtual assistants, expanded features on the IRS individual online account, increased access to dozens of tax forms for cell phone and tablet users, and expanded alerts for scams and schemes targeting taxpayers.
The IRS has also expanded the Direct File program from last year, which will be available to taxpayers in 25 states when the tax season begins later this month, following its use by 12 states as part of last year’s pilot program.
Direct File, like commercial tax software, allows taxpayers to enable a data import tool to automatically import information from their IRS account, including personal information, the taxpayer’s IP PIN, and certain information from their W-2 form. A new chatbot will also be available to assist Direct File users with the eligibility checker.
“This has been a historic period of improvement for the IRS, and people will see additional tools and features to help them with filing their taxes this tax season,” said Danny Werfel, the IRS’s commissioner.
“These taxpayer-focused improvements we’ve made thus far are significant, but they’re only the start of what the IRS needs to do. More can be accomplished with ongoing investment in the country’s tax system.”
The IRS announced that most tax refunds are issued in less than 21 calendar days and that taxpayers can use the IRS.gov “Where’s My Refund?” tool to check the status of their 2024 income tax refund within 24 hours of e-filing.
Taxpayers who file a paper return typically receive their refund four weeks after filing. The “Where’s My Refund?” tool is updated overnight, so you don’t need to check it more than once per day.
“The simplest, safest, and quickest way to get a refund is to file electronically and choose direct deposit. According to Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service, paper refund checks are 16 times more likely to be lost, misdirected, stolen, or uncashed,” the IRS stated.
It also stated that taxpayers who do not have a bank account should visit the FDIC and National Credit Union Administration websites, while veterans can find participating financial institutions through the Veterans Benefits Banking Program.
