You can file your federal return when you have all your 2021 tax info (W-2s, 1099s, etc.) and all the tax forms and schedules in your return have been finalized (most should be ready by late January).
The IRS has not yet started accepting e-filed returns. (A few returns will be processed up to a week before this date for testing purposes.)
We'll update this article once the IRS begins accepting returns. You can also check our Tax Calendar.
You can file your federal return when you have all your 2018 tax info (W-2s, 1099s, etc.) and all the tax forms and schedules in your return have been finalized (many IRS forms are ready now, and most should be ready by late January).
The IRS started processing the backlog of e-filed returns on ______, January ___, 2019.
I heard some people already got accepted – what's going on?
The IRS always processes a test batch about a week before the official processing date. These returns do not necessarily follow the "first in, first out" rule; instead, they are selected to test specific scenarios such as itemized returns, returns that contain a certain form, and so forth.
This means a handful of taxpayers may get accepted before the official January start date, even if they filed after you did. However, tax refunds – including those in the test batches – won't be processed until after the official start date.
