IRS began accepting and processing 2024 tax-year returns on Monday, January 27, 2025.

Tips for making filing easier

To speed a potential tax refund and help with tax filing, the IRS suggests the following:

• Make sure you have received Form W-2 and other earnings information, such as Form 1099, from employers and payers. The dates for furnishing such information to recipients vary by form, but they are generally not required before February 1, 2025. You may need to allow additional time for mail delivery.
• Go to irs.gov to find the federal individual income tax returns, Form 1040 and Form 1040-SR (available for seniors born before January 2, 1960), and their instructions.
• File electronically and use direct deposit.
• Check irs.gov for the latest tax information.

Key filing dates

Here are several important dates to keep in mind:

• January 10. IRS Free File opened. IRS Free File Guided Tax Software, available only at irs.gov, allows participating software companies to accept completed tax returns of any taxpayer or family with an adjusted gross income of $84,000 or less in 2024 and hold them until they can be electronically filed with the IRS starting January 27. Also beginning January 27, Free File Fillable forms were available to taxpayers of any income level to fill out and e-file themselves at no cost.
• January 27. IRS began accepting and processing individual tax returns. Also, Direct File (a web-based service that works on mobile phones, laptops, tablets, or desktop computers) opened to eligible taxpayers (check at irs.gov; not all tax situations are covered) in 25 states to file their taxes directly with the IRS for free.
• April 15. Deadline for filing 2024 tax returns (or requesting an extension) for most taxpayers.
• October 15. Deadline to file for those who requested an extension on their 2024 tax returns.

Tax refunds

The IRS encourages taxpayers seeking a tax refund to file their tax return as soon as possible. The IRS expects to issue most tax refunds within 21 days of their receiving a tax return if the return is filed electronically, the tax refund is delivered through direct deposit, and there are no issues with the tax return. To minimize delays in processing, the IRS encourages people to avoid  paper tax returns whenever possible.