IRS announces 2026 tax filing season

• Author By Payroll Office
• January 21, 2026

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has set the official start date for the 2026 tax filing season. The IRS announced it will begin accepting and processing 2025 tax returns on Monday, January 26, 2026. This year, several new tax law provisions of the One, Big, Beautiful Bill become effective, which could impact federal taxes, credits, and deductions.

Taxpayers have until Wednesday, April 15, 2026, to file their 2025 tax returns and pay any tax due.

New Schedule 1-A

Taxpayers will use the new Schedule 1-A to claim recently enacted tax deductions, such as no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on car loan interest and/or the enhanced deduction for seniors.

Where's my refund?

Refund status information is generally available around 24 hours after e-filing a current-year return, or four weeks after filing a paper return.

Be aware of tax scams and fraud

Taxpayers can learn how to prevent, report and recover from tax scams and tax-related identity theft on IRS.gov.

Taxpayers may be able to take advantage of new deductions that could reduce taxable income and increase refunds due to the One, Big, Beautiful Bill, passed by Congress in July 2025. Provisions from the new law can have a significant effect on federal taxes, credits, and deductions. The legislation includes four prominent provisions for individuals: the "deduction for seniors," "no tax on tips," "no tax on overtime," and "no tax on car loan interest." Taxpayers claiming these deductions should use Schedule 1-A and see the related instructions.

Find answers to tax questions

• IRS.gov/Help: A variety of resources to answer some of the most common tax questions.

• IRS.gov/ITA: The Interactive Tax Assistant will ask questions and provide answers on several tax topics based on input.

• IRS.gov/Forms: Find forms, instructions and publications on the most recent tax changes and interactive links for answers, including the new Schedule 1-A.

• Publication 17 explains tax law to help ensure you pay only the tax you owe and no more.

Get personalized account services and quicker refunds

• Access tax information 24/7 with a secure IRS online account. An IRS Individual Online Account allows taxpayers securely to access to view tax account information, interact with the IRS, and manage payments, refunds and communications.

• Speed tax refunds with direct deposit. The IRS is phasing out paper tax refund checks. Taxpayers should use direct deposit to receive tax refunds faster.

Taxpayers may have questions about taking advantage of OBBB tax provisions to lower their tax bills. One, Big, Beautiful Bill Provisions on IRS.gov provides information on the new tax law provisions and others, plus eligibility and guidance. Taxpayers can also use IRS.gov tools to learn more and get answers on how these changes could impact tax return filing.