As of January 2026, the IRS is open, fully operational, and actively processing tax returns for the 2026 filing season, having resumed normal activities following the 2025 lapse in appropriations. Online tools, including individual accounts and "Where's My Refund," are available, and Taxpayer Assistance Centers have reopened.
User reports indicate no current problems at IRS.
The IRS has resumed normal operations following the conclusion of the government shutdown, including reopening the agency's Taxpayer Assistance Centers.
If you don't file your tax return by the October 15 extension deadline, the IRS charges a failure-to-file penalty of 5% per month (up to 25%) on unpaid taxes, plus a failure-to-pay penalty (0.5% per month), and interest on the total amount due, potentially leading to significant costs, though you can request penalty abatement for reasonable cause, and if you're owed a refund, you generally won't face penalties but risk losing your refund if you wait too long (usually over 3 years).
What is due by October 15 this year? IRS income tax return: Your IRS taxes for the year can no longer be e-filed after this date. A tax extension could reduce your penalties if you filed one by April 15. Estimate potential late payment penalties here; file even if you can't pay and see tips on paying taxes.
The IRS $600 rule refers to a change in reporting requirements for third-party payment apps (like Venmo, PayPal) for taxable income from goods and services, where platforms must send a Form 1099-K if you receive over $600 in a year, intended to capture gig economy/side hustle income, though delays and phased implementation have adjusted the timeline, with current rules for 2024 using a higher threshold ($5,000) before fully phasing to $600 for future years, but remember all taxable income, regardless of form, must always be reported.
Key Takeaways. If your tax return is missing required forms or is otherwise incomplete, it can delay your refund. Errors in your tax return calculations can cause delays as the IRS may need to correct them. A mismatch between your Social Security Number and the records can significantly delay your refund.
From October 1 to November 12, 2025, the federal government of the United States was shut down as Congress failed to pass appropriations legislation for the 2026 fiscal year.
Income tax refund delays in 2025 (for the 2024 tax year) happen due to errors, fraud protection, claiming specific credits like EITC/ACTC (held until mid-Feb by law), missing info, or general IRS review, with increased scrutiny on identity theft and income mismatches leading to longer processing times. Common culprits include wrong SSNs, math errors, incomplete forms, and discrepancies with income reported by employers.
Nov. 19, 2025 — The IRS has resumed normal operations following the conclusion of the government shutdown, including reopening the agency's Taxpayer Assistance Centers.
Your tax return is taking long likely due to errors, incomplete info, identity theft/fraud concerns, claiming specific credits (like EITC), or offsetting old debts, with paper returns and IRS reviews adding more time. The IRS issues most refunds in under 21 days if filed electronically and error-free, but discrepancies or needed verification for credits like the Child Tax Credit (ACTC) or Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) trigger holds.
No, the U.S. Federal Government did not pass a single, comprehensive 2025 budget but instead relied on several Continuing Resolutions (CRs), essentially stopgap funding bills, to avoid shutdowns, with the final CR extending funding through the entire Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 (ending September 30, 2025) after the House and Senate passed it in March 2025. This resolved the FY 2025 funding, though specific appropriations details and policy riders were included in these temporary measures rather than a full budget agreement.
A government shutdown affects federal employees (furloughed or working without pay), military personnel, essential workers like air traffic controllers, and the public through disrupted services in areas like food assistance (SNAP/WIC), housing aid, small business loans, and national parks, while impacting the broader economy through reduced spending and delayed federal licenses/permits, causing significant economic slowdown and uncertainty for individuals and businesses alike.
During a shutdown: Live assistors on IRS phone lines and at Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TACs) are unavailable. Only automated toll-free telephone applications and online self-help via IRS.gov remain operational.
You generally shouldn't worry if your refund is "still being processed," as it means the IRS is working on it, but it might take longer than the typical 21 days due to common issues like errors, incomplete information, or claiming credits like the EITC/ACTC. Worry only becomes necessary if you receive an IRS letter requesting more information or if the "Where's My Refund?" tool shows a specific problem like fraud, but typically, it just means a longer wait, not no refund at all.
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Refunds are commonly delayed by unresolved notices, incorrect or unvalidated bank details, or discrepancies between ITR data and AIS/26AS. Tracking status on the e-filing portal and NSDL pages helps identify issues such as refund failure, adjustment, or pending processing.
The IRS "10k rule" primarily refers to the requirement for businesses and financial institutions to report cash transactions over $10,000 by filing Form 8300 (for businesses) or a Currency Transaction Report (CTR) (for banks), under the Bank Secrecy Act. This rule helps combat money laundering, tax evasion, and terrorist financing, requiring reporting for single transactions or related transactions totaling over $10,000 in cash within a year, with penalties for non-compliance.
The "20k rule" refers to the traditional IRS threshold for reporting income from payment apps and online marketplaces on Form 1099-K: over $20,000 in gross payments AND more than 200 transactions in a calendar year. While a law (the American Rescue Plan) temporarily lowered the threshold to $600, recent legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) (OBBBA), has reinstated the $20,000/200-transaction rule for tax years starting in 2025, providing relief for casual sellers and gig workers.