The IRS has announced that it will begin accepting 2025 Income Tax returns on January 26, 2026. It might be a bit of a rough ride. I don’t have the impression that the IRS is functioning well at all. On the surface, it’s okay, but once you scratch that surface, you’re likely to find yourself dropped on Mars by one of Elon’s taxpayer-paid-for toys.
CT has announced the same starting date. Other states may/may not begin then, but those of you in other states typically file later in the season anyway. If you want to file earlier, shoot me a text or email, and I’ll let you know, but once we’re into that last week of January, it’s rare for any state not to be accepting returns. Your portals are always available year-round, so please feel free to upload data as soon as you receive it. If you have any questions, please call or email. The old office number is so buried in spam calls that it’s unusable. Call or text my personal cell. That’s the number starting with the area code, then “4,” and ending in “6”.
One new thing to keep in mind is that the IRS wants everything done electronically. It wants to be paid and pay you electronically, so we will be incorporating banking info into the returns this year, unless your balance is zero. I’ve only had that happen once in my years of doing taxes.
Okay . . . I’ll do what I can to keep it from getting too taxing.
Neither the IRS nor the tax software company will be processing 2025 returns before mid-January, but that’s only TWO WEEKS away, and they will go by in the blink of an eye. IRS guidelines say reporting documents should be out by the end of January. Once all the documents are in, we can start prep and filing.
COVID is over. The IRS has been tRumpified, utterly destroyed, what’s left has been beaten down, and is performing poorly. I haven’t had to call, but colleagues report it’s impossible to find anyone who can answer their questions, and waits are very long. Perhaps the new management, with no IRS experience, will fix that, but I certainly wouldn’t hold my breath. It’s the same guy who recently led the SSA, and we know how well that’s working. It’s likely to be a very rough season. Add to that new systems that haven’t been run through a season and will undoubtedly be loaded with impediments to progress. Hopefully, the season will run smoothly, but be prepared for the worst and pleasantly surprised by the best.
