Overview
- The IRS will begin accepting 2025 tax-year returns on January 26, with a federal filing deadline of April 15.
- IRS Free File opened on January 9 for eligible taxpayers to prepare and submit returns at no cost.
- The agency expects roughly 164 million individual filings and is promoting direct-deposit refunds as it phases out paper checks.
- Policy changes tied to last year’s tax law include stricter ID timing for dependent credits, pilot retirement accounts for minors, Form 1099-K issuance at over $20,000 and 200 transactions, and expanded digital-asset reporting including potential Form 1099-DA.
- Immigrants who earn income must file taxes and can use an ITIN if they lack an SSN, with experts noting the IRS does not share taxpayer data with ICE without a court order.