E-file start and stop dates for federal returns (2024)

FAQs

E-file start and stop dates for federal returns? ›

E-Filing for all 2020 returns will be shut down on 12/20/2023 at 6 PM PST. Tax year 2021 and 2022 individual returns will not be able to be e-filed during the shut down but will resume when the IRS re-opens for the tax year 2023 filing season.

When does tax season start? The filing season for 2023 tax returns starts on January 29, 2024. The IRS will begin processing tax returns on that day.

To prepare for Tax Year 2023 filing season, the IRS will shut down 1040 MeF submissions until late January 2024. This affects all Form 1040 federal returns, as well as state returns e-filed under the MeF fed/state program.

If you're a calendar year filer and your tax year ends on December 31, the due date for filing your federal individual income tax return is generally April 15 of each year.

If you go for direct deposit, file online, and make sure your return is error-free, the IRS says you should see your refund in your account by February 27, 2024.

You may be in line for a smaller tax refund this year if your income rose in 2023. Earning a lot of interest in a bank account could also lead to a smaller refund. A smaller refund isn't necessarily terrible, since it means you got paid sooner rather than loaning the IRS money for no good reason.

Yes, you can typically e-file the currently due tax year and two prior years, except during an IRS closure. For example, once the IRS has opened e-filing for tax year 2023 returns, you'll be able to e-file 2023, 2022 and 2021. Extension filings are only available for the currently due tax year.

Returns can't be e-filed if they: Contain overrides. Have no taxable income. Contain a W-2 where box 1 is blank or the box 16 amount is greater than the box 1 amount.

Prior Year Returns – MeF allows filing of prior year 1040 returns. As a new tax form type is added to the MeF platform, tax returns will be accepted for the current tax year only. As subsequent tax years are added to the system, MeF will accept the current tax year and two prior tax years.

Why is IRS rejecting my efile? ›

Tax returns get rejected frequently because a name or number on the return doesn't match information in the IRS or Social Security Administration databases. Typos and misspellings can be quick and easy to fix. You might even be able to correct the issue online and e-file again.

Watch either one of these tax deadline videos for more tax help. In case you missed the April 15, 2024 deadline to e-file a 2023 Tax Return or you e-filed an extension by that date, you can e-file your 2023 Taxes until October 15, 2024. After that date, you can only prepare and mail your 2023 Return via paper forms.

If you owe taxes, you can e-file early and set an automatic payment date anytime on or before the April 15 due date. You can pay by check or money order, or by debit or credit card. You can also transfer funds electronically from your bank account.

The IRS accepts returns that are stapled or paperclipped together. However, any check or payment voucher, as well as accompanying Form 1040-V, must not be stapled or paperclipped with the rest of the return, since payments are processed separately.

Californians who don't owe money to the government usually won't face penalties if they file their taxes late. However, the later you file your taxes, the more time it will take before you see your return. If you wait too long, the government may simply absorb your unclaimed refund, leaving you with nothing.

If you've waited till the last second, the deadline to file federal tax returns for most taxpayers is Monday, April 15, 2024. Taxpayers living in Maine or Massachusetts have until Wednesday, April 17, 2024, to file because of the Patriot's Day and Emancipation Day holidays, the IRS said.

The Senate hasn't passed the new child tax credit. Will it happen? At the beginning of 2024, the U.S. House of Representatives passed $78 billion tax legislation that includes a newly expanded child tax credit (CTC) and various tax breaks for businesses.

Tax experts tell CBS MoneyWatch that you shouldn't hold off on filing your taxes in the hope that Congress will greenlight a more generous Child Tax Credit. "I can emphatically say, without a question, never wait to file your taxes for possible pending D.C. legislation," Steber said.

Over three years, the bill provides $2.85 billion in income tax relief to families with children but $30.6 billion in new welfare cash payments that, if extended over 10 years (which is likely), would cost more than $140 billion.