IRS offers tips, resources for the 2023 tax filing season

WASHINGTON (WTVD) -- Ready for tax season? The Internal Revenue Service has a lot of information available for taxpayers preparing to file.

On Thursday, the IRS proclaimed that it has designated Monday, Jan. 23, as the beginning of the nation's 2023 tax season.

That's the day the agency will begin accepting and processing 2022 tax year returns.

Because of the way the calendar falls this year, the tax-day deadline this year will be April 18.

The IRS said it has hired more than 5,000 new telephone assistors and added more in-person staff to help support taxpayers.

"With these new additional resources, taxpayers and tax professionals will see improvements in many areas of the agency this year," said Acting IRS Commissioner Doug O'Donnell. "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."

If you use tax accounting software or tax professionals to do your taxes, you can go ahead and file anytime. However, the returns won't be transmitted to the IRS until Jan. 23.

Ways to reduce the pain of filing

The IRS urges people to have all the information they need before they file a tax return. Filing a complete and accurate return can avoid extensive processing and refund delays as well as avoid the possibility of needing to file an amended tax return.

The IRS also encourages people to carefully review their tax situation to make sure they don't overlook important tax credits they may be eligible for, like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). The IRS has set a special day on Jan. 27 to encourage people to make sure they understand the important benefits of the EITC, a credit that can help low- and moderate-income workers and families.

The IRS has a variety of free services available. The IRS's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling for the Elderly programs also offer free basic tax return preparation to qualified individuals. People can also get help from trusted tax professionals, commercially available tax software as well as IRS Free File, which provides free electronic filing of tax returns.

April 18 tax filing deadline in 2023

The filing deadline to submit 2022 tax returns or an extension to file and pay tax owed is Tuesday, April 18, 2023, for most taxpayers. By law, Washington, D.C., holidays affect tax deadlines for everyone in the same way as federal holidays. The due date is April 18, instead of April 15, because of the weekend and the District of Columbia's Emancipation Day holiday, which falls on Monday, April 17.

Taxpayers requesting an extension will have until Monday, Oct. 16, 2023, to file.

Get it together before you file

The IRS recommends several things for people to keep in mind for a smooth filing experience this year:

Have the right information before filing. The IRS encourages people to have all the information they need before filing a complete and accurate return. 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.

Filing an accurate tax return can help taxpayers avoid delays or later IRS notices. Sometimes this means waiting to make sure individuals have accounted for all their income and the related documents. This is especially important for people who may receive one of the various Forms 1099 from banks or other payers reporting unemployment compensation, dividends, pension, annuity or retirement plan distributions.

People should also remember that most income is taxable, including unemployment income, interest received or money earned from the gig economy or digital assets. Individuals should make sure they report the correct amount on their tax returns to avoid processing delays.

The IRS also reminds people to visit IRS.gov first for common questions and also to check on the status of their refunds. IRS.gov has much of the same information that IRS phone assistors have.

"Our phone volumes remain at very high levels," O'Donnell said. "For faster access to information, we urge people to start with IRS.gov. From there, taxpayers can quickly access the variety of free resources available to help taxpayers anytime, day or night."

Get your refund faster

Get a speedier refund by filing electronically and choosing direct deposit. There are important steps people can take to help ensure their tax return and refund are processed without delays. The most important is 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 wherever possible, the IRS says.

Taxpayers can use a bank account, prepaid debit card or mobile app to use direct deposit and will need to provide routing and account numbers with their return. Learn how to open an account at an FDIC-insured bank or through the National Credit Union Locator Tool.

IRS Free File available Jan. 13

IRS Free File will open Friday, Jan. 13 when participating providers will accept completed returns and hold them until they can be filed electronically with the IRS on Jan. 23.

The IRS's Free File program, available only at IRS.gov, allows taxpayers who made $73,000 or less in 2022 to file their taxes electronically for free using brand-name software provided by commercial tax filing companies. Free File Fillable forms are available to any income level and provide free electronic forms that people fill out and file themselves also at no cost.

How quickly will I get my refund?

The IRS anticipates that most taxpayers will receive their refund within 21 days of when they file electronically if they choose direct deposit and there are no issues with their tax return. Taxpayers should check Where's My Refund? on IRS.gov for their personalized refund status.

While the IRS will begin accepting returns Jan. 23, the IRS cannot issue a refund that includes the Earned Income Tax Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) before mid-February. This is because of the 2015 PATH Act law passed by Congress, which provides this additional time to help the IRS stop fraudulent refunds from being issued.

Where's My Refund? should show an updated status by Feb. 18 for most early EITC/ACTC filers. The IRS expects most EITC/ACTC-related refunds to be available by Feb. 28 if taxpayers chose direct deposit and there are no other issues with their tax return.

Got a previous tax return still pending? File 2022 anyway

The IRS says it has processed all paper and electronic individual tax year 2021 returns received before November 2022 that didn't require error correction or further review. The IRS continues to work on remaining tax returns in these categories. This work will not impact tax refund timing for people filing in 2023, the IRS asserts, but the agency continues to urge people to make sure they submit an error-free tax return this tax season to avoid delays. Check the IRS Operations page for the latest information about the status of tax returns received in 2022.

Free filing help and other resources

Taxpayers can find online tools at IRS.gov that are easy to use and available anytime.

An IRS Online Account allows people to log in securely to access personal tax account information including balance, payments and tax records including adjusted gross income.

Choosing a Tax Professional offers information to help people select one. The Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers with Credentials and Select Qualifications can help taxpayers find local preparers who currently hold professional credentials recognized by the IRS or who hold an Annual Filing Season Program Record of Completion.

The Interactive Tax Assistant provides answers to many tax law questions.

Where's My Refund? offers taxpayers the ability to check the status of their refund within 24 hours after the IRS accepts their e-filed tax return. The Where's My Refund? tool updates once every 24 hours, usually overnight.

MilTax is a free tax resource available for the military community, offered through the Department of Defense. It includes tax preparation and electronic filing software, personalized support from tax consultants and current information about filing taxes. It's designed to address the realities of military life - including deployments, combat and training pay, housing and rentals and multi-state filings. Eligible taxpayers can use MilTax to electronically file a federal tax return and up to three state returns for free.

Key dates for the filing season

There are several important dates taxpayers should keep in mind for this year's filing season:

• Jan. 13: IRS Free File opens

• Jan. 17: Due date for tax year 2022 fourth quarter estimated tax payment.

• Jan. 23: IRS begins the 2023 tax season and starts accepting and processing individual 2022 tax returns.

• Jan. 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 the tax owed due to the Emancipation Day holiday in Washington, D.C.

• Oct. 16: Due date to file for those requesting an extension on their 2022 tax returns.

It's never too early to get ready for the tax-filing season. For more tips and resources, check out the Get Ready page on IRS.gov.