Taxpayers can start submitting their 2024 tax returns this week, as per the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announcement, with taxpayers in disaster areas possibly having more time to file.
The IRS stated, “The IRS has opened the 2025 tax filing season and has begun accepting and processing federal individual income tax returns for the 2024 tax year” in a statement released on January 27th.
According to the IRS, they had already received “millions of tax returns from across the country” by the early morning of January 27th.
“The IRS anticipates receiving over 140 million individual income tax returns for the 2024 tax year before the federal deadline on April 15 (Tuesday),” the agency said.
“Taxpayers residing in federally declared disaster areas may receive additional time to file and pay federal taxes,” the IRS stated. For example, taxpayers affected by California wildfires have had various tax filing deadlines, originally set between January 7 and October 15, extended to October 15, including the April 15 deadline for the 2024 tax filings.
Additionally, the IRS announced extensions for various other filing and payment deadlines, which can be accessed on their official website.
The IRS offers an Interactive Tax Assistant tool to answer various tax law questions based on user input.
“Depending on the information entered by the user, the tool can determine the taxpayer’s filing status, whether they should file a tax return, if they can be claimed as a dependent, if certain types of income are taxable, if the filer is eligible for tax credits, or if certain expenses are deductible,” the agency stated.
The IRS outlined several tax filing options available this year. The IRS Free File provides free filing services for individuals with incomes below $84,000 from the previous year, while the IRS Direct File has expanded to 25 states this tax filing season.
The IRS Free File is a service provided through a collaboration between the IRS and tax software providers, while the IRS Direct File is a service directly provided by the IRS.
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free filing options for taxpayers with disabilities, incomes below $67,000, or those who are non-English speakers. Qualified individuals can receive free basic income tax return preparation and electronic filing services from IRS-certified volunteers.
Taxpayers aged 60 and above can utilize the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program, which specifically addresses tax issues related to retirement benefits and other concerns of the elderly population.
Regarding tax refunds, the IRS mentioned that taxpayers should not expect to receive Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) refunds before mid-February.
The agency stated, “The IRS anticipates that if taxpayers choose direct deposit and their tax return has no issues, most EITC/ACTC-related refunds will be deposited into taxpayers’ bank accounts or debit cards by March 3.”
The IRS advised taxpayers in need of assistance to “work with reputable tax professionals to avoid potential scams and fraud.”
The agency particularly warned about “Ghost Preparers” who might disappear after filing a client’s tax return.
“These preparers may charge high fees based on a percentage of the refund, or even steal the entire refund,” the IRS warned, adding, “After preparing the tax forms, these ‘Ghost Preparers’ may vanish, leaving innocent taxpayers to face the consequences alone.”
The organization recommended people to be cautious of tax preparers claiming to secure higher refund amounts and to avoid working with tax professionals who charge fees based on the refund amount.
“Ensure you hire tax preparers with a PTIN (Preparer Tax Identification Number). Paid preparers must have a PTIN to prepare all or substantially all of a tax return,” the IRS stated, emphasizing, “Hire reputable tax professionals who should input their PTIN on the tax forms, sign the tax return, and provide you with a copy.”
The 2025 tax filing season commenced with the arrival of a new government in the White House. President Donald Trump has signed several executive orders, many of which involve adjustments to federal agencies. On January 25th, Trump announced a freeze on all new hiring at the IRS.
“They were going to hire 88,000 new employees to come after you, and we’re going to either have them not hired or we’re going to have them go to the border,” he stated in a speech in Nevada.
Earlier this month, Representative Earl L. “Buddy” Carter, R-Ga., introduced H.R. 25, the Fair Tax Act, aimed at abolishing current tax laws, eliminating various taxes including corporate and individual income taxes, payroll taxes, and gift taxes.
In place of these would be a national unified consumption tax.
The original article “IRS Kicks Off 2025 Tax Filing Season” was published on the English edition of The Epoch Times website.