The IRS updates tax professionals and entities who transmit returns to the IRS on their filing system (it’s called the Modernized e-File (MEF) Status). On that page today are the dates that the 2026 Tax Season filings will begin:
Filing season start dates
Business tax returns: 9 a.m. Eastern time on Jan. 15, 2025.
Individual tax returns: 9 a.m. Eastern time on Jan. 27, 2025.
This does not mean you will be able to file your personal return on January 27th. It’s possible that many tax forms will not be ready for the IRS to process when efiling opens; it’s also possible–indeed, it’s likely–that software companies will not be ready with all forms on January 27th. Still, maybe next Tax Season won’t be as doom and gloom as tax professionals expect.
