The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the United States announced on Friday (January 10) that the 2025 tax season will kick off on January 27.
Most taxpayers must submit their federal tax returns and pay any taxes owed by April 15 to avoid penalties and interest, but those affected by natural disasters may have more time.
It is expected that more than 140 million individuals will submit their 2024 tax returns before the federal deadline of April 15. Over half of these tax returns are expected to be filed with the help of tax professionals, and the IRS urges people to seek trustworthy tax professionals to avoid potential scams and schemes.
The 2025 tax season will reflect the IRS’s ongoing modernization efforts and the addition of new tools and features to better assist taxpayers. IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel stated, “This is a historic period of improvement for the IRS, with people seeing more tools and functions to help them file taxes this tax season.”
“The taxpayer-centric improvements we have made so far are crucial, but they are just the beginning of the work the IRS needs to do. By continuing to invest in the national tax system, we can do more,” Werfel said.
In the 2025 tax season, the IRS’s free tax filing program “Direct File” will be open to eligible taxpayers in 25 states. This is more than double the number of states participating compared to 12 states in 2024.
The 25 states participating in the “Direct File” program in 2025 are Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
The IRS Free File guided tax software will be available for taxpayers to use starting Friday. Millions of taxpayers across the US can access free software tools provided by trusted IRS Free File partners by visiting IRS.gov.
“The IRS remains committed to working with the Free File Inc. to ensure taxpayers have a free and secure option to electronically file taxes,” Commissioner Werfel said. “Taxpayers have a variety of filing options, including trusted tax professionals, tax software, Free File, Direct File, or free filing services provided through IRS partners. Over the years, Free File has helped millions of taxpayers by offering a quick and simple way to submit their tax forms.”