Marking the beginning of the nation’s tax season, the Internal Revenue
Service said today that it successfully started accepting and processing 2017
federal individual income tax returns. More than 155 million returns are
expected to be filed this year.
People have until Tuesday, April 17, 2018, to file their 2017 returns and
pay any taxes due. The filing tax deadline is later this year due to several
factors. The usual April 15 deadline falls on Sunday this year, which would
normally give taxpayers until at least the following Monday. However,
Emancipation Day, a Washington, D.C., holiday, is observed on Monday, April 16,
giving taxpayers nationwide an additional day to file. By law, Washington
holidays impact tax deadlines for everyone in the same way federal holidays do.
Taxpayers requesting an extension will have until Monday, Oct. 15, 2018, to
file.
The IRS expects more than 70 percent of taxpayers to get tax refunds this
year. Last year, nearly 112 million refunds were issued, with an average refund
of $2,895.
“The IRS has a number of ways to help taxpayers this filing season, and we
encourage people to look into the many options available,” said Acting IRS
Commissioner David Kautter. “The nation’s tax professionals and software
community work with the IRS and help make the tax filing process easier for
Americans. Today’s filing season kick-off reflects many months of hard work by
the nation’s tax community and IRS employees. And we also appreciate the time
and attention taxpayers take as they prepare and file their taxes."
Use e-File and Free
File
The IRS expects about 90 percent of returns to be filed electronically.
Choosing e-file
and direct
deposit remains the fastest and safest way to file an accurate income tax
return and receive a refund.
The IRS
Free File program, available at IRS.gov, gives eligible taxpayers a dozen
options for brand-name products. Free File is a partnership with commercial
partners offering free brand-name software to about 100 million individuals and
families with incomes of $66,000 or less. About 70 percent of the nation’s
taxpayers are eligible for IRS Free File. People who earned more than $66,000
may use Free File Fillable Forms, the electronic version of IRS paper forms.
Refunds in 2018: More
than 90 Percent in Less than 21 days; EITC/ACTC Refunds Starting Feb. 27
The IRS issues more than nine out of 10 refunds in less than 21 days.
However, it’s possible a tax return may require additional review and take
longer. “Where’s
My Refund?” has the most up to date information available about refunds.
The tool is updated no more than once a day, so taxpayers don’t need to check
more often.
The IRS also notes that refunds cannot be issued before mid-February for tax
returns that claim the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Additional Child Tax
Credit. This applies to the entire refund — even the portion not associated
with the EITC and ACTC. While the IRS will process the EITC and ACTC returns
when received, these refunds cannot be issued before mid-February. The IRS
expects the earliest EITC/ACTC related refunds to be available in taxpayer bank
accounts or on debit cards starting on Feb. 27, 2018, if they chose direct
deposit and there are no other issues with the tax return.
“Where's My Refund?” on IRS.gov and the IRS2Go
mobile app remain the best way to check the status of a refund. “Where’s My
Refund?” will be updated with projected deposit dates for most early EITC and
ACTC refund filers Feb. 17, so those filers will not see a refund date on
“Where's My Refund?” or through their software packages until then. The IRS,
tax preparers and tax software will not have additional information on refund
dates, so these filers should not contact or call about refunds before the end
of February.
This law change gives the IRS more time to detect and prevent fraud. Even
with the EITC and ACTC refunds and the additional security safeguards, the IRS
still expects to issue more than nine out of 10 refunds in less than 21 days.
However, it’s possible a particular tax return may require additional review
and take longer. Taxpayers are reminded that state tax agencies have their own
refund processing timeframes that vary, and some states may make additional
reviews to ensure their refunds are being issued properly. Even so, taxpayers
and tax return preparers should file when they’re ready. For those who usually
file early in the year and are ready to file a complete and accurate return,
there is no need to wait to file.
Free Tax Help
Low- and moderate-income taxpayers can get help filing their tax return for
free. More than 90,000 volunteers around the country can help people correctly
complete their return.
To get this help, taxpayers can visit one of the more than 12,000
community-based tax help sites that participate in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance
and Tax Counseling for the Elderly programs. To find the nearest site, use the VITA/TCE
Site Locator on IRS.gov or the IRS2Go mobile app.
Filing Assistance
No matter who prepares a federal tax return, by signing the return, the
taxpayer becomes legally responsible for the accuracy of all information
included. IRS.gov offers a number of tips
about selecting a preparer and information about national
tax professional groups.
The IRS urges all taxpayers to make sure they have all their year-end
statements in hand before filing. This includes Forms W-2 from employers and Forms
1099 from banks and other payers. Doing so will help avoid refund delays and
the need to file an amended return.
Online tools
The IRS reminds taxpayers they have a variety of options to get help filing
and preparing their tax return on IRS.gov, the official IRS website. Taxpayers
can find answers to their tax questions and resolve tax issues online. The Let
Us Help You page helps answer most tax questions, and the IRS
Services Guide links to these and other IRS services.
Taxpayers can go to IRS.gov/account
to securely access information about their federal tax account. They can view
the amount they owe, pay online or set up an online payment agreement; access
their tax records online; review the past 18 months of payment history; and
view key tax return information for the current year as filed. Visit IRS.gov/secureaccess
to review the required identity authentication process.
The IRS urges taxpayers to take advantage of the many tools and other resources
available on IRS.gov. IRS phone lines will be busy again this year, so to save
time, people should first visit the IRS website for tax assistance.
The IRS continues to work with state tax authorities and the tax industry to
address tax-related identity theft and refund fraud. As part of the Security
Summit effort, stronger protections for taxpayers and the nation’s tax
system are in effect for the 2018 tax filing season.
The new measures attack tax-related identity theft from multiple sides. Many
changes will be invisible to taxpayers but will help the IRS, states and the
tax industry provide new protections. New security requirements will better
protect tax software accounts and personal information.
Renew ITIN to Avoid
Refund Delays
Many Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) expired on Dec. 31,
2017. This includes any ITIN not used on a tax return at least once in the past
three years. Also, any ITIN with middle digits of 70, 71, 72 or 80 (Example:
9NN-70-NNNN or 9NN-80-NNNN) is now expired. ITINs that have middle digits 78 or
79 expired Dec. 31, 2016, but taxpayers can still renew them. Affected taxpayers
should act soon to avoid refund delays and possible loss of eligibility for
some key tax benefits until the ITIN is renewed. An ITIN is used by anyone who
has tax-filing or payment obligations under U.S. tax law but is not eligible
for a Social Security number.
It can take up to 11 weeks to process a complete and accurate ITIN renewal
application. For that reason, the IRS urges anyone with an expired ITIN needing
to file a tax return this tax season to submit their ITIN renewal application
soon.
Sign and Validate
Electronically Filed Tax Returns
All taxpayers should keep a copy of their tax return. Some taxpayers using a
tax filing software product for the first time may need their Adjusted Gross
Income (AGI) amount from their prior-year tax return to verify their identity.
Taxpayers using the same tax software they used last year will not need to
enter their prior year information to electronically sign their 2017 tax
return. Taxpayers can learn more about how to verify their identity and
electronically sign tax returns at Validating
Your Electronically Filed Tax Return.
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