Tax Season Starts Jan. 26 – IRS Will Accept Returns

Anyone else get a tax return every year and not owe? The only people who care about the start of tax season is the people who get a refund. Well...

Tax season officially opens Monday, January 26, when the IRS begins accepting and processing 2025 tax returns. However, if you're eager to file early and qualify for the IRS Free File program, you can submit your return starting Friday, January 9.

The Free File program is available to taxpayers with an adjusted gross income of $84,000 or less. Those who prefer to prepare their own taxes can use IRS Free File Fillable Forms starting January 26, regardless of income level.

The deadline to file your federal return is Wednesday, April 15, 2026. The IRS expects to receive approximately 164 million individual tax returns this filing season, with most taxpayers filing electronically. E-filing and choosing direct deposit is the fastest way to receive your refund, typically within 21 days.

This year's filing season includes changes from President Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill," which could impact your refund. One major update is the federal child tax credit, which increased from $2,000 to $2,200 per qualifying child for 2025. The refundable portion remains $1,700 per child, meaning families could receive that amount as a refund even if they owe little or no taxes.

To qualify for the full federal child tax credit, your income must be $200,000 or less for individual filers, or $400,000 or less for married couples filing jointly. Both the child and taxpayer must have valid Social Security numbers.

Here in Massachusetts, families also benefit from the state's child and family tax credit, which increased to $440 per dependent for 2024, up from $310 previously.

Massachusetts also eliminated the cap on dependents, so families with multiple children see greater benefits.

If you can't file by April 15, you can request an automatic extension until October 15.