© 2026 WGCU News
PBS and NPR for Southwest Florida
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Tax filing season currently open for some and begins for everyone else on January 26

WGCU | By Tom Hall
Published January 13, 2026 at 2:27 PM EST
Internal Revenue Service signage
WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall
/
WGCU Arts Reporter Tom Hall
For taxpayers whose adjusted gross income is $89,000 or less, IRS began accepting returns filed under the IRS Free File program on January 9.

There are actually two different opening days to this year’s tax filing season.

For taxpayers whose adjusted gross income is $89,000 or less, IRS began accepting returns filed under the IRS Free File program on Jan. 9. For everyone else, the first day of tax filing season is Monday, Jan. 26.

Taxpayers have until Wednesday, April 15, to file their 2025 tax returns and pay any tax due.

The IRS expects to receive about 164 million individual income tax returns this year, with most taxpayers filing electronically.

A group of 17 senators led by Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Angus King of Maine have raised “serious concerns” that the IRS is not prepared for the upcoming tax filing season because of the 25 percent reduction of its workforce last year. The senators warn that this may result in delays and difficulties in filing returns and receiving tax refunds.

MORE INFORMATION:

There is no guarantee that returns filed early will result in the early issuance of tax refunds. That’s because the IRS press release announcing the tax filing season start dates only says that IRS will begin “accepting” returns Jan. 9. It does not say it will begin “processing” the returns during the early filing period.

Refund status information is generally available around 24 hours after e-filing a current-year return, or four weeks after filing a paper return at https://www.irs.gov/wheres-my-refund.

IRS.gov has online tools and resources taxpayers can use before, during and after filing their federal tax returns.

“The Internal Revenue Service is ready to help taxpayers meet their tax filing and payment obligations during the 2026 filing season,” said IRS Chief Executive Officer Frank Bisignano. “As always, the IRS workforce remains vigilant and dedicated to their mission to serve the American taxpaying public. At the same time, IRS information systems have been updated to incorporate the new tax laws and are ready to efficiently and effectively process taxpayer returns during the filing season.”

Visit https://www.irs.gov/e-file-do-your-taxes-for-free for more information on the IRS Free File Option.

For more information on this year’s tax filing season, visit https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-announces-first-day-of-2026-filing-season-online-tools-and-resources-help-with-tax-filing.

The full text of the senators’ letter to Secretary of the Treasury and Acting IRS Commissioner Scott Bessent and Chief of Taxpayer Services Ken Corbin can be found here: https://www.warren.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/warren_king_letter_to_irs_on_filing_season.pdf.

A recent report from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration conceded that staffing cuts will make it more difficult for the IRS to detect fraud, process tax returns, and provide tax help over the phone and in-person at its Taxpayer Assistance Centers.

In its 2026 budget request, IRS indicated it needed to hire more than 10,000 call center representatives to maintain its current level of phone service, but the agency has not issued any information about the progress it has made in filling those positions.

WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now. Thank you.
Tom Hall
See stories by Tom Hall
Trusted by over 30,000 local subscribers

Local News, Right Sized for Your Morning

Quick briefs when you are busy, deeper explainers when it matters, delivered early morning and curated by WGCU editors.

  • Environment
  • Local politics
  • Health
  • And more

Free and local. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

More from WGCU
  • Winners mezzo-soprano Simona Genga, soprano Luna Park, tenor Minghao Liu and bass Camhur Gorgun stand with Opera Naples Executive Director Melanie Kalnins at last year's finals.
    Arts & Culture
    Competitors and jurors announced for 2026 Luciano Pavarotti Foundation Opera Naples International Voice Competition
    Tom Hall
    Opera Naples has announced the contestants and jury members who have been selected for the 2026 Luciano Pavarotti Foundation Opera Naples International Voice Competition. Out of 430 singers from 19 different countries who applied to compete, 20 contestants were selected.
  • Choreographer Sami Doherty
    Arts & Culture
    Choreographer Sami Doherty believes young dancers can do much more than they realize
    Tom Hall
    While Sami Doherty choregraphs to the strengths of her cast, she generally finds that young performers are capable of much more than they realize.
  • Environment
    Introduction to Loggerhead Shrikes when they are at their peak abundance in Florida
    Dr. Jerry Jackson
    The Loggerhead Shrike is found in Florida year-round, but reaches its peak abundance in mid-winter with the arrival of more-northern migrant birds.Shrikes feed extensively on insects, small mammals, birds, reptiles and other prey that they capture on or near the ground. As snow begins to cover the ground to the north, shrikes head south – joining the human “snowbirds” and our resident non-migratory population of shrikes.Little is known of interactions between the migrant and the resident shrike populations – providing a difficult, probably long-term, research opportunity. Both resident and migrant shrikes occupy open habitats both in cities and in the country-side.Roadsides with close-cropped vegetation and bordering fences are favored sites because of the presence of road-killed or injured animals and the ease of seeing animals crossing the road.Their flight in pursuit of prey is often within 3-4 feet of the ground. This, of course also makes shrikes vulnerable to getting hit on the road. Thus far Loggerhead Shrikes remain across their continent-wide range, but they also remain very vulnerable.