IRS to begin accepting returns Jan. 30
Taxpayers who use some schedules will have to wait until mid-February or March. So far, there is no reason to expect refunds to be delayed.
The Internal Revenue Service will begin accepting tax returns on Jan. 30, 2013, though taxpayers who use some forms will not be able to file until February or March.
The agency had planned to begin accepting returns Jan. 22, but it delayed that schedule to update computers and forms to account for most of the changes Congress made in the fiscal cliff legislation passed last week.
Taxpayers will have to wait until late February or early March if they want to claim a residential energy tax credit, report property depreciation or claim a general business credit. The full list of forms that will not be available until later is available on the IRS website.
The IRS noted that most taxpayers who use those types of forms file closer to the April 15 deadline or even later, with an extension.
Both electronic and paper returns will be accepted starting Jan. 30. Taxpayers who want to file their own taxes electronically can do so free through the IRS Free File program. The quickest way to get a tax refund is to file electronically and have your refund direct-deposited to your bank account.
"We have worked hard to open tax season as soon as possible," IRS Acting Commissioner Steven T. Miller said in a news release. "This date ensures we have the time we need to update and test our processing systems."
The IRS plans to work with companies that produce tax filing software to help them update their systems to account for the latest changes.
Some of those companies are already accepting returns. TurboTax, for example, said it is already up to date with all the latest changes and is accepting returns now, though the company cannot transmit them to the IRS until Jan. 30.
So far, nothing that Congress has done will delay tax refunds. But there has been some speculation that tax refunds could be delayed if Congress fails to reach an agreement on the debt ceiling by mid-February. Asked by McClatchy Newspapers about that possibility, representatives from the White House, IRS and U.S. Treasury refused to answer questions.
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There are a lot of taxpayers who normally file in January. With delaying the start, there will be a huge backlog of returns on "hold" until IRS goes "live"...then they will all hit at once. Will they be equipped to handle the onslaught? Combination of delayed start and longer processing cycle means a lot of unhappy taxpayers. All the refunds that hit the "market" in early February are going to be delayed and there will be few refunds available before the end of February. There must be a better way!
You taxed me all year yet i have to fill out a form incase you missed some money, really!
This is the dumbest tax system ever and so over complicated......makes me look forward to Obamacare and trying to get health care when they run outta forms!
Since I pay taxes all year long stop giving the 47% tax refunds when they don't work and are a drain on our nations resources!
Flat Tax now!!!!!!!
Are you saying my brother who served in Iraq does not work ! He did not pay taxes while over there, as all our military does when in a war zone.
Yeah...flat tax...have not seen one where the middle class and working poor pay more and the wealthy pay less.
This is a fine example of your tax dollars at work. Lazy, incompetent IRS is now going to blame this mess on Congress. The IRS knew what might happen, so why didn't they prepare for it and not wait until the last minute to fix their software. Just wait until the 30th and try to file only to find out most of the returns reject on e-file because something else is wrong. What about all the accountants, tax preparers, etc. who derive quite a bit of their living from tax work? What do they do for another month without the income they usually earn in January from tax preparation? Guess all those people can just pound sand with the taxpayers, huh? Everybody will have some extra time to contact their congressman in the meantime. This is an outrage!
I'm still waiting for my refund from last year. We didn't get it because our accountant filed electronically and it has something to do with identity theft. They're still investigating. My friend had that happen to him the year before. They got their tax refund last January. I'm hoping I will still get it.
This has never happened to me before. I guess electronic filing is not safe.
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