IRS Announces 2017 Filing Season Date
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By Tax News
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced that the next US tax season will begin on January 23, 2017, and reminded individual taxpayers claiming certain tax credits to expect a longer wait for their refunds.
More than 153m individual tax returns are expected to be filed in 2017, and the agency expects more than four out of five will be prepared electronically using tax return preparation software.
Many software companies and tax professionals will be accepting tax returns before January 23 and then will submit the returns when IRS systems open. While the IRS will begin processing paper tax returns at the same time, it was stressed that there is no advantage to filing tax returns on paper in early January instead of waiting for the IRS to begin accepting e-filed returns.
The IRS said it anticipates issuing more than nine out of ten refunds in fewer than 21 days, but reminded taxpayers that it is now required to hold refunds claiming the earned income tax credit and the additional child tax credit until February 15.
In addition, the IRS said it will take several days for these refunds to be released and processed through financial institutions. Factoring in weekends and the President’s Day holiday, the agency cautioned that many affected taxpayers may not have actual access to their refunds until the week of February 27.
“For this tax season, it’s more important than ever for taxpayers to plan ahead,” IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said. “People should make sure they have their year-end tax statements in hand, and we encourage people to file as they normally would, including those claiming the credits affected by the refund delay.”
The filing deadline to submit 2016 tax returns will be April 18, 2017, rather than the traditional April 15 date due to a weekend and a holiday.
Paul S. Herman CPA, a tax expert for individuals and businesses, is the founder of Herman & Company, CPA’s PC in White Plains, New York. He provides guidance and strategies to improve clients’ financial well-being.