The IRS will begin accepting and processing 2025 federal tax returns on Monday, January 26, 2026. While you can prepare your forms earlier, they will not be officially submitted or processed before this date. The deadline to file your 2025 tax return is April 15, 2026.
How early can I file my taxes? You can file 2025 taxes as soon as you receive your 2025 tax documents such as a W-2 or 1099 Form, typically in late January 2026. Should I wait to file taxes? There's no benefit to waiting to file your 2025 taxes on Tax Day, April 15, 2026.
For Tax Year 2025 (filed in early 2026), the IRS generally starts accepting e-filed returns in late January 2026, with the official 2025 tax season opening around January 26-27, 2026, though returns including Form 4136 (Fuel Tax Credit) are delayed until February 15, 2026, and some business returns might open earlier.
You can file your taxes as early as the IRS opens its system, which is typically late January (e.g., January 26, 2026, for 2025 taxes), but it's best to wait until you have all your documents, like W-2s and 1099s, usually available by January 31, to ensure accuracy and avoid delays. Filing early can get you a faster refund, but accuracy is more important than speed.
You can file your 2025 taxes as soon as you have all your documents, but the IRS officially starts accepting and processing returns on January 26, 2026, with the standard April 15, 2026, deadline for filing and paying, though filing early helps you get refunds faster and is recommended by tax experts.
Filing dates for 2025 taxes
The due date for filing of Income Tax Returns (ITRs) for AY 2025-26, originally due on 31st July 2025, was extended to 15th September 2025. The Central Board of Direct Taxes has decided to further extend the due date for filing these ITRs for AY 2025-26 from 15th September, 2025 to 16th September, 2025.
What's the earliest you can file your taxes? Although the exact date that tax filing season begins varies from year to year, it generally falls around mid- to late January. For 2025 individual tax returns filed in 2026, the IRS will begin accepting returns January 26, 2026.
If you didn't account for each job across your W-4s, you may not have withheld enough, so your tax refund could be less than expected in 2026. Or, if you had a salary increase in 2025 but didn't update your tax withholding accordingly, you could receive a smaller refund.
The assessment is for income you have earned in the preceding calendar year. Example Income taxed in Year of Assessment 2025, refers to income earned from 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024. Explanation The amount reflected under 'Income' is your total income after deducting allowable expenses.
5 April 2025: End of the 2024/25 tax year.
Here's a summary of key changes for the 2025 tax year.
You likely received $1400 from the IRS today as a supplemental payment for the 2021 Economic Impact Payment (EIP3), specifically the Recovery Rebate Credit, for people who missed it by not claiming it or leaving it blank on their 2021 tax return. These are "plus-up" payments for those eligible for the third stimulus but didn't get the full amount, often for dependents or due to income changes, with a deadline to claim it by April 2025 by filing a 2021 return if you hadn't already.
For the 2025 tax year, the Child Tax Credit (CTC) is worth up to $2,200 per qualifying child, with up to $1,700 of that being refundable (Additional Child Tax Credit) for lower-income families, available if you have at least $2,500 in earned income. Eligibility requires the child to be under age 17, meet residency/relationship tests, have a valid SSN, and not provide more than half their own support. Higher incomes phase out the credit: above $200,000 for single filers and $400,000 for joint filers.
The IRS started accepting 2025 federal tax returns for the 2026 filing season on Monday, January 26, 2026, with the main filing deadline being April 15, 2026, for most taxpayers. Taxpayers can file electronically from this date, with options like IRS Free File becoming available, and should have received necessary forms like W-2s and 1099s by early February.
If you are preparing and lodging your own tax return, you have from 1 July to 31 October to lodge. If you lodge online we will pre-fill most of your information in your tax return for you.
January 26, 2026 - Tax season begins. This marks when the IRS will begin accepting and processing federal tax returns for the 2025 tax year. February 2, 2026 - Due date for employers to send W-2 forms.
Common ITR Filing Mistake 1: Missing the Filing Deadline
The most avoidable mistake is missing the due date. For most individual taxpayers, the deadline for FY 2024-25 is 15th September 2025 (extended from July 31).
Refund delays in AY 2025–26 are largely due to enhanced compliance checks and data matching, not system failure. Taxpayers should regularly review their AIS and Form 26AS, respond to department alerts and correct discrepancies promptly. In most cases, refunds will be issued once checks are complete.