2024 tax filing season set for January 29; IRS continues to make improvements to help taxpayers

 WASHINGTON —The Internal Revenue Service today announced Monday, Jan. 29, 2024, as the official start date of the nation’s 2024 tax season when the agency will begin accepting and processing 2023 tax returns. 

The IRS expects more than 128.7 million individual tax returns to be filed by the April 15, 2024, tax deadline. 

Although the IRS will not officially begin accepting and processing tax returns until Jan. 29, people do not need to wait until then to work on their taxes if they’re using software companies or tax professionals. For example, most software companies accept electronic submissions and then hold them until the IRS is ready to begin processing later this month. IRS Free File will also be available on IRS.gov starting Jan. 12 in advance of the filing season opening. The IRS Direct File pilot will be rolled out in phases as final testing is completed and is expected to be widely available in mid-March to eligible taxpayers in the participating states. 

Taxpayers will continue to see helpful changes at the IRS following ongoing transformation work. Building off the success of the 2023 tax season that saw significant improvements following passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, the 2024 filing season will continue reflecting the focus on improving services to taxpayers.  

“As our transformation efforts take hold, taxpayers will continue to see marked improvement in IRS operations in the upcoming filing season,” said IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel. “IRS employees are working hard to make sure that new funding is used to help taxpayers by making the process of preparing and filing taxes easier.”    

April 15 tax filing deadline for most taxpayers 

For most taxpayers, the deadline to file their personal federal tax return, pay any tax owed or request an extension to file is Monday, April 15, 2024. 

Taxpayers living in Maine or Massachusetts have until April 17, 2024, due to the Patriot’s Day and Emancipation Day holidays. If a taxpayer resides in a federally declared disaster area, they also may have additional time to file. 

Tips to help people file in 2024 

The IRS encourages taxpayers to take steps now to “Get Ready” to file their 2023 individual federal tax return. It’s important for filers to gather all the correct information they need before filing their return. Organize and gather tax records including Social Security numbers, Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers, Adoption Identification Numbers and this year’s Identity Protection Personal Identification Numbers (IP PIN). Filing an accurate return can help taxpayers avoid refund delays or later IRS mailings  about a problem. 

People should report all their taxable income and wait to file until they receive all income related documents. This is especially important for people who may receive various Forms 1099 from banks or other payers reporting unemployment compensation, dividends, pensions, annuities or retirement plan distributions. If a taxpayer receives Forms 1099-K, they should visit What to do with Form 1099-K to help them determine if that money should be reported as income on their federal tax return. 

People should plan to file electronically with direct deposit. This is still the fastest and easiest way to file and receive a refund. To avoid delays in processing, people should avoid filing paper returns whenever possible. 

Key 2024 filing season dates

• January 12: IRS Free File opens.
• January 16: Due date for 2023 fourth quarter estimated tax payments.
• January 26: Earned Income Tax Credit Awareness Day.
• January 29: Filing season start date for individual tax returns.
• April 15: Due date of filing a tax return or to request an extension for most of the nation.
• April 17: Due date for Maine and Massachusetts.
• October 15: Due date for extension filers.