2023 tax filing season
IRS sets January 23 as official start to 2023 tax filing season
The IRS is starting its tax filing season earlier than it has in the past
The Internal Revenue Service today announced January 23, 2023, as the beginning of the nation’s 2023 tax season when the agency will begin accepting and processing 2022 tax year returns.
More than 168 million individual tax returns are expected to be filed, with the vast majority of those coming before the April 18 tax deadline. People have three extra days to file this year due to the calendar.
With the three previous tax seasons dramatically impacted by the pandemic, the IRS has taken additional steps for 2023 to improve service for taxpayers. As part of the August passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, the IRS has hired more than 5,000 new telephone assistors and added more in-person staff to help support taxpayers.
Inflation Reduction Act
“This filing season is the first to benefit the IRS and our nation’s tax system from multi-year funding in the Inflation Reduction Act,” said Acting IRS Commissioner Doug O’Donnell. “With these new additional resources, taxpayers and tax professionals will see improvements in many areas of the agency this year. We’ve trained thousands of new employees to answer phones and help people. While much work remains after several difficult years, we expect people to experience improvements this tax season. That’s just the start as we work to add new long-term transformation efforts that will make things even smoother in future years. We are very excited to begin to deliver what taxpayers want and our employees know we could do with this funding.”
These steps took place as the IRS worked for months to prepare for the 2023 tax season. The January 23 start date for individual tax return filers allows the IRS time to perform annual updates and readiness work that are critical to ensuring IRS systems run smoothly. This is the date IRS systems officially begin accepting tax returns. Many software providers and tax professionals are already accepting tax returns; they will transmit those returns to the IRS when the agency begins accepting tax returns on January 23.
Tips to make filing easier
To avoid processing delays and speed refunds, the IRS urges people to follow these steps:
Organize and gather 2022 tax records including Social Security numbers, Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers, Adoption Taxpayer Identification Numbers, and this year’s Identity Protection Personal Identification Numbers valid for calendar year 2023.
Taxpayers can find online tools at IRS.gov that are easy-to-use and available anytime. Millions of people use them to help file and pay taxes, find information about their accounts, determine eligibility for tax credits and get answers to tax questions.
Individuals can use a bank account, prepaid debit card or mobile app to use direct deposit and will need to provide routing and account numbers. Learn how to open an account at an FDIC-Insured bank or through the National Credit Union Locator Tool.
File a complete and accurate return electronically when ready and choose direct deposit for the quickest refund.
Key filing season dates
There are several important dates taxpayers should keep in mind for this year’s filing season:
January 13: IRS Free File opens. Taxpayers can begin filing returns through IRS Free File partners; tax returns will be transmitted to the IRS starting January 23. Tax software companies also are accepting tax filings in advance.
January 17: Due date for tax year 2022 fourth quarter estimated tax payment.
January 23: IRS begins 2023 tax season. Individual 2022 tax returns begin being accepted and processing begins.
January 27: Earned Income Tax Credit Awareness Day to raise awareness of valuable tax credits available to many people – including the option to use prior-year income to qualify.
April 18: National due date to file a 2022 tax return or request an extension and pay tax owed due to the Emancipation Day holiday in Washington, D.C.
October 16: Due date to file for those requesting an extension on their 2022 tax returns
Insure you have the forms you need to file your taxes
inForm Decisions is now offering a tax form program for Oracle PeopleSoft customers using Payroll for North America software (formerly known as PeopleSoft Payroll). The right options for easy wage and information reporting, inFORM Decisions offers tax forms in just about every paper median for all your tax season preparation needs. W2, 1099, ACA, and many more are available as blank laser forms, pressure seal forms, continues forms, and more. Please call (800) 858-5544 or (949) 709-5838 Ext.123 to order your 2021 tax form paper and envelopes or email Erin at erin@informdecisions.com.