2017 Tax Filing Season Now Open

Image courtesy AARP Foundation.

The IRS announced that it has successfully started accepting and processing 2016 federal income tax returns.

The deadline this year is Tuesday, April 18, 2017 to file a 2016 individual tax return and pay any outstanding taxes. The deadline is three days later than the usual April 15 deadline, owing to the date falling on a Saturday and a Washington D.C. holiday on Monday.

More than 153 million returns are expected to be filed this year, which accounts for over 70 percent of taxpayers. Taxpayers who request an extension will have until Monday, Oct. 16, 2017 to file.

The IRS says that e-filing taxes online and receiving refunds through direct deposit are the fastest and safest ways of filing an accurate income tax return and receiving a refund.

The IRS’ Free File program is available online at IRS.gov, and gives eligible taxpayers who annually earn $64,000 or less free access to brand-name software for e-filing. People who earned more than $64,000 may use Free File Fillable Forms which are electronic versions of IRS paper forms.

The IRS also offers free tax filing help nationwide through community volunteers. Find the nearest tax filing help site near you.

In 2016, the IRS issued 111 million refunds averaging $2,860 per person.