The IRS will begin accepting 2024 federal tax returns on January 27

By Jeanne Sahadi, CNN

(CNN) — The official start date for this year’s tax filing season will be Jan. 27, the IRS announced Friday.

This is the first day the agency will begin accepting and processing 2024 tax returns.

“This has been a historic period of improvement for the IRS, and people will see additional tools and features to help them file their taxes this tax season,” IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said. in a press release.

These improvements include increased use of online chatbots and voicebots when filers call the IRS with questions.

When should returns be made?

The official deadline to file your 2024 return will be April 15, the agency said.

But not everyone required to file a declaration will be required to meet this deadline. In fact, millions of Americans won’t need one this year.

This is because your filing deadline may be different if you live or do business in a federally declared disaster area. You’ll get an automatic extension to file your return as well as pay any remaining federal income tax you may owe. (The IRS lists these areas and relevant tax filing deadlines. here.)

For example, the IRS said Friday that due to fires and straight line winds This week in Southern California, “individuals and households who reside or have a business in Los Angeles County” will receive tax relief on various filing and payment deadlines that would otherwise fall between January 7 and October 15. They now have until October 15. to file and pay what they owe during this period, including their 2024 taxes.

Likewise, due to the devastation caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, all taxpayers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, as well as parts of Tennessee and Virginia, have until May 1 to file their 2024 returns and pay any taxes. due, according to the IRS.

If you are not in a group receiving an automatic extension, but cannot file your application by mid-April, you can request an automatic six-month deposit extension before April 15. If you don’t do this and it turns out you still owe money, you’ll be hit with a late filing penalty if your return is late. And if you owe money, know that an extension to file is not an extension to pay. Your payment is still due on April 15. If you don’t pay by then, you will also be subject to late payment penalties.

Direct File program expands to 25 states

The agency announced its pilot project on Friday Direct File Program will now be open in 25 states, up from 12 when it launched last year. The program allows eligible filers to file their taxes directly with the IRS for free, starting January 27.

States where Direct File is now available are: Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Carolina North, Oregon. , Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

The IRS said the program will cover more tax situations this year than before, including for filers claiming the child and dependent care credit, for example.

Free filers can submit their returns sooner

The IRS also announced that starting today, January 10, anyone eligible to file their return for free with one of the private sector organizations IRS Free File partners can do it.

“This year, eight private sector partners will provide online guided tax software to taxpayers with adjusted gross income (AGI) of $84,000 or less in 2024. Additionally, one partner will offer a product in Spanish,” said the agency in a press release. release.

He also noted that each of the private sector partners has its own eligibility criteria based on factors such as age, income and state residency, but added that all offer “serving military personnel active with an AGI of $84,000 or less in 2024, for free.” tax preparation and filing using the IRS Free File.

Update on refunds

If you’re hoping to get a refund and don’t file your return on time, you won’t be penalized. But you won’t receive your refund until you file your claim.

The majority of U.S. tax filers typically get a refund, which the IRS typically issues within 21 days of accepting your return. But the agency notes on its site that if you claim an earned income tax credit, the The IRS cannot, by law, issue the EITC-related refund before mid-February.

Last year, out of nearly 161.5 million returns filed, the IRS issued more than 103 million refunds. The average reimbursement was more than $3,100, Werfel said on a press call.

To find out the time frame within which you are likely to obtain your refund once your declaration has been made, you can use the agency’s website. Where is my refund tool. But, generally speaking, “e-filing and selecting direct deposit is the best way to get your refund quickly,” Werfel said on a press call.

Some filers may also receive a separate check from the IRS in the coming weeks. Just before Christmas, the agency announced that it send payments to 1 million filers who he said were eligible for the stimulus rebate credit for 2021, but who did not claim it on their returns for that year.