Football season may be ending, but tax season is just kicking off: The IRS officially started accepting income tax returns on Monday.
The beginning of the 2025 tax season opens a 78-day window for over 140 million taxpayers to file individual tax returns for the 2024 tax year, which covers income earned from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 of last year.
In a news release, the IRS touted that this filing season “will feature expanded and enhanced tools to help taxpayers as a result of the agency’s historic modernization efforts.” Those include text and virtual assistants that can offer tax help as well as new options for completing tax forms on mobile phones and totally free filing options.
But whether you’re doing your taxes online or IRL with a tax professional, the agency says to be on the lookout for dangerous tax scams. Taxpayers are often targeted by phishing attempts this time of year, using text messages and emails that claim to be from the IRS. These messages are always fake: The IRS will never reach out to taxpayers via phone, text or email.
How to prepare to file taxes
Even if you don’t intend to submit your tax return anytime soon, now is a good time to start compiling the documents you’re going to need. Keep an eye out for your W-2 in particular; employers are supposed to send those forms out by Friday (Jan. 31).
Don’t want to wait? No problem: The IRS Free File program is already open. Through a partnership with eight tax preparation companies, tons of taxpayers qualify to do their taxes online at no cost. However, your adjusted gross income for 2024 must be $84,000 or less to be eligible for IRS Free File.
Alternatively, an estimated 32 million taxpayers in 25 states can use Direct File, the agency’s own free guided tax-filing tool. Last year, residents of only 12 states were able to use a pilot version of the program, but it has since drastically expanded. Direct File is also available now.
Before you file taxes, you may need to do some math to see if it makes sense to itemize your taxes. For the 2024 tax year, most taxpayers will take the standard deduction of $14,600 for single filers, $21,900 for heads of households and $29,200 for married couples filing jointly. But individuals with allowable deductions exceeding those amounts should usually itemize their taxes. It’s a longer process, but you may get a larger refund or reduce your tax bill.
Tax preparation tools like TurboTax also have calculators that can give you early estimates of how much you may owe — or what you can expect to get back in a tax refund.
When are taxes due in 2025?
In 2025, Tax Day is April 15. You should file your taxes in advance of the midnight deadline unless you file for an automatic extension using Form 4868. However, keep in mind that while an extension delays your filing deadline to Oct. 15, it does not extend the time you have to pay any taxes owed to the IRS.
Some taxpayers who live in federally declared disaster areas will have additional time to file. This includes individuals and businesses in Los Angeles County, where wildfires recently caused widespread damage, and areas affected by the major hurricanes of 2024. You can check if you have a later filing deadline on the IRS website.
When will I get my tax refund?
The IRS says most refunds are issued within 21 days, but it can take more time if you file on paper.
In each of the past two years, over 100 million tax refunds were issued at an average amount of over $3,000. While many taxpayers will receive a nice check again this year, the IRS advises against counting on a refund by a certain date to pay bills as delays are possible.
Electronically filing your taxes and selecting direct deposit as the delivery method will help you receive your money faster. To track the status of your refund, you can use the Where’s My Refund? tool. You’ll just need to plug in your Social Security or taxpayer ID number, filing status and refund amount.
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According to a report from Money.com, the IRS has officially started accepting income tax returns for the 2024 tax year. This marks the beginning of a 78-day window for over 140 million taxpayers to file their individual tax returns for the previous year. The IRS has also announced that this filing season will feature expanded and enhanced tools to assist taxpayers, thanks to their modernization efforts. These tools include text and virtual assistants, as well as new options for completing tax forms on mobile phones and free filing options.
However, taxpayers should be aware of potential tax scams during this time. The IRS warns that phishing attempts may be made through text messages and emails, claiming to be from the agency. It is important to note that the IRS will never reach out to taxpayers via phone, text, or email.
While taxpayers may not be ready to file their taxes just yet, it is a good idea to start gathering necessary documents. Employers are required to send out W-2 forms by January 31st, so keep an eye out for those. For those who want to get a head start, the IRS Free File program is already open. This program allows eligible taxpayers to file their taxes online for free through a partnership with eight tax preparation companies. Additionally, the IRS’s own free guided tax-filing tool, Direct File, is now available to an estimated 32 million taxpayers in 25 states.
Before filing taxes, it is important to determine whether it makes sense to itemize deductions. For the 2024 tax year, most taxpayers will take the standard deduction, but those with allowable deductions exceeding the standard amount may benefit from itemizing. Tax preparation tools like TurboTax can help with this decision by providing estimates of potential refunds or tax bills.
For those wondering when taxes are due in 2025, Tax Day is April 15th. Taxpayers should aim to file their taxes before the midnight deadline, unless they file for an automatic extension using Form 4868. However, it is important to note that an extension only applies to the filing deadline, not the payment deadline. Taxes owed must still be paid by April 15th to avoid penalties and interest.
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