IRS Announces Official Start of 2025 Tax Season: What You Need To Know

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced Friday that the official start date of the 2025 tax season will be January 27.

The Context

The IRS is in the middle of a massive overhaul to improve its technology and customer service processes. This overhaul is made possible by the tens of billions of dollars that the agency received through the Inflation Reduction Act passed by congressional Democrats and signed into law by President Joe Biden in August 2022.

What To Know

The IRS expects over 140 million tax returns to be filed by the April 15 deadline and most 2024 income tax refunds to be issued in less than 21 days.

The IRS advises taxpayers to file their taxes electronically and choose direct deposit for their refunds as it's the "easiest, safest and fastest way," according to a news release issued by the agency on Friday.

What Is the Direct File Program?

The IRS' Direct File program allows people to calculate and submit their tax returns directly with the agency for free, rather than through a personal accountant or commercial tax preparation software.

The program was only available in 12 states when piloted last year. The IRS is expanding the program to 25 states starting on January 27.

Here are the list of states where Direct File will be available:

• Alaska
• Arizona
• California
• Connecticut
• Florida
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Kansas
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Washington
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

How Do I Check The Status Of My Refund?

Taxpayers can check the status of their 2024 refunds using the IRS tool Where's My Refund? 24 hours after filing their tax returns online or four weeks after filing paper returns.

What People Are Saying

IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said in a statement on Friday: "This has been a historic period of improvement for the IRS, and people will see additional tools and features to help them with filing their taxes this tax season."

"These taxpayer-focused improvements we've done so far are important, but they are just the beginning of what the IRS needs to do. More can be done with continued investment in the nation's tax system," Werfel added.

What Happens Next

For a smoother tax season, taxpayers are instructed by the IRS to check out its Get Ready webpage. This webpage includes steps you can take now to make the tax filing process easier such as organizing your tax records, checking your individual tax identification number and getting an identity protection personal identification number.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced Friday that the official start date of the 2025 tax season will be January 27. The Crimson Ribbon/Getty Images