The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has officially announced Monday, January 29, 2024, as the start date for the nation’s 2024 tax filing season. This year, the agency expects to receive over 128.7 million individual tax returns by the April 15, 2024, tax deadline. While taxpayers can begin working on their returns with software companies or tax professionals before the official start date, the IRS will not begin accepting and processing returns until January 29th.
Building upon the success of the 2023 tax season, which saw significant improvements following the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, the 2024 filing season promises to continue the focus on enhancing services for taxpayers. IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel highlighted the agency’s ongoing transformation efforts and emphasized that new funding will be utilized to make the process of preparing and filing taxes easier for individuals.
Here are some of the new and expanded tools and resources that taxpayers can expect during the 2024 tax filing season:
- Expanded in-person service: The IRS plans to open or reopen Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TACs) nationwide, offering extended hours at many locations to better meet the needs of taxpayers.
- Increased toll-free line assistance and customer call-back feature: Taxpayers can expect improved access to IRS representatives on the toll-free line, along with an expanded customer call-back feature designed to significantly reduce wait times.
- Improvements to the “Where’s My Refund?” tool: The IRS’s widely used taxpayer service tool will undergo updates to provide more detailed refund status messages in plain language, ensuring seamless functionality on mobile devices and reducing the need for taxpayers to call the IRS for basic refund inquiries.
- Enhanced paperless processing: Taxpayers will be able to submit all correspondence, non-tax forms, and responses to notices digitally, and e-File 20 additional tax forms, enabling up to 125 million paper documents to be submitted digitally per year.
- Enhanced IRS Individual Online Account: The IRS Individual Online Account will feature new capabilities, including chat functionality, the option to schedule and cancel future payments, revise payment plans, and validate and save bank accounts.
- Direct File pilot: A new pilot tax filing service called Direct File will give eligible taxpayers the option to file their 2023 federal tax returns online, for free, directly with the IRS. This service is expected to be widely available in mid-March.
While the filing deadline for most taxpayers is April 15, 2024, those living in Maine or Massachusetts have until April 17, 2024, due to the Patriot’s Day and Emancipation Day holidays. Taxpayers residing in federally declared disaster areas may also have additional time to file.
To ensure a smooth filing experience, the IRS encourages taxpayers to take steps now to gather all necessary information, including Social Security numbers, Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers, Adoption Identification Numbers, and this year’s Identity Protection Personal Identification Numbers (IP PINs). Filing an accurate return can help avoid refund delays or additional correspondence from the IRS.
Additionally, the IRS recommends reporting all taxable income, waiting to file until all income-related documents are received, and filing electronically with direct deposit for the fastest possible refund processing.
For those eligible for free filing assistance, IRS Free File will open on January 12, 2024, allowing taxpayers to complete their returns and have them held until the official filing season begins on January 29th. Free File Guided Tax Software is available to taxpayers or families with an Adjusted Gross Income of $79,000 or less in 2023, while Free File Fillable Forms is available to any income level.
also read:- Know the facts pertaining receipt of Form 1099-K in 2024
With these improvements and resources, the IRS aims to provide a more efficient and user-friendly tax filing experience for all taxpayers during the 2024 season.