The IRS will begin accepting 2022 federal income tax returns on January 23, the tax agency announced Thursday.
Of course, you don’t have to file your return that early. The official deadline for returns this year will be Tuesday, April 18, the agency announced. That’s because April 15, the traditional expiration date, falls on a Saturday; and Monday, April 17, is Emancipation Day, an official holiday in the District of Columbia, where the IRS is headquartered.
The filing due date is the day you should have filed your 2022 individual tax return and paid any remaining federal income taxes due last year. But anyone can request, and will automatically be granted, a six-month extension until October 16, 2023 to file their return if they file Form 4868 before April 18.
However, submitting that form will not extend the deadline by which you must pay your remaining income taxes to 2022. That due date remains April 18.
Additionally, tax filing and payment deadlines will be extended for anyone living in counties declared federal disaster areas due to recent natural disasters.
These include storm victims in several California counties. They now have until May 15, 2023 to file their returns.
It also includes taxpayers who do not live in a federally declared disaster area but whose relevant tax records are located there (for example, with a tax preparer or at a business in the area).
Get your refund fast
Most US tax filers are due a refund each year. Last year, the average refund issued was $3,176.
The IRS says it will likely deliver your refund within 21 days of receiving your return, its typical turnaround time, but only if you fill out your return accurately and completely, file electronically, and elect to receive your refund. through direct deposit.
The agency advises against filing paper returns, if possible.
For anyone expecting a refund due to the Earned Income Tax Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit, the IRS is prohibited by law from issuing it before mid-February, in order to give the agency time to prevent refunds from being issued. fraudulent. This year, the IRS said EITC refunds will be available “to many” in their bank accounts or on their debit cards by February 28.
While millions of taxpayers pay a tax professional each year to help prepare and file their tax returns, or purchase tax software to do it themselves, the IRS offers a free filing program for anyone with a 2022 adjusted gross income of $73,000 or less. The program allows you to prepare and electronically file your return at no charge using software from participating tax preparation companies.
In addition, the IRS also offers Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Senior Tax Counseling programs, which are free basic tax preparation for those who generally make $60,000 or less.
IRS expects customer service to improve this season
Over the past two tax filing seasons, taxpayers have experienced a number of customer service issues at the IRS due to staffing shortages and other pandemic-related difficulties at the IRS. Last year, for example, the agency was only able to handle 13% of the calls it received from filers and faced a large backlog of unprocessed returns.
This year should be different. “This tax filing season marks the first to benefit the IRS and our nation’s tax system with multi-year funding in the Reducing Inflation Act,” Acting IRS Commissioner Doug O’Donnell said in a statement released Thursday. “With these additional new resources, taxpayers and tax professionals will see improvements in many areas of the agency this year. We have trained thousands of new employees to answer phones and help people.”
The agency said it has hired more than 5,000 people to take calls and added more in-person staff to help support taxpayers.
