Washington News

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that the 2025 tax season will commence on January 27 of this year. The IRS will provide expanded and enhanced tools to help improve customer service.

An estimated 140 million taxpayers will file tax year 2024 returns by the April 15 deadline. Of those returns, the IRS expects more than half will be filed with the help of a tax professional.

The IRS continues to modernize and add customer support solutions. The improvements include more text and voice assistance and an expanded IRS Individual Online Account. There will also be new warnings that will alert taxpayers to the latest scams and schemes.

The IRS highlighted several free filing options. These include the Direct File program, the Free File program, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, the Tax Counseling for the Elderly program and MilTax, a Department of Defense program.

1. Direct File — The Direct File online program is available in 25 states this year. The 12 states from 2024 were Arizona, California, Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington State, and Wyoming. The 2025 tax filing system season will add the states of Alaska, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. There will be a new data import tool to allow information to be imported from your IRS online account. A new chatbot will help guide taxpayers through Direct File’s eligibility requirements. A live chat with IRS representatives will also be available in English and Spanish. In addition to the Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit and Credit for Other Dependents, the current Direct File system will cover the Child and Dependent Care Credit, Premium Tax Credit, Credit for the Elderly and Disabled and Retirement Savings Contribution Credits. The Direct File program is limited to taxpayers claiming the standard deduction and will permit deductions for student loan interest, educator expense or Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).

2. Free File — The Free File program is now available and offers free tax-preparation software from eight commercial companies. Taxpayers must go to the IRS Free File page on IRS.gov. While some vendors have different limits, Free File is available for taxpayers with adjusted gross income (AGI) of $84,000 or less. One of the eight options is available in Spanish. Returns prepared during January will be submitted to the IRS on January 27.

3. Other Free Options — For those individuals who desire a free option with assistance, there are the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and the Tax Counseling for the Elderly programs. The IRS has trained volunteers to help eligible taxpayers with these programs. In addition, the Department of Defense sponsors MilTax, a program for all military members and qualifying veterans.

The IRS highlighted several new enhancements designed to improve customer support. There are expanded hours at the Taxpayer Assistance Centers. The IRS has increased the number of staff available on phone lines, aiming for an 85% service level this year.

More taxpayers continue to create an IRS Individual Online Account. With this account, taxpayers can review details from a tax return, request an Identity Protection PIN, obtain account transcripts and sign various forms, including powers of attorney. Taxpayers with an online account will also benefit from new notices with educational information on potential scams and schemes.

The IRS has also added virtual assistance. There are voicebots in both English and Spanish to assist taxpayers. The voicebots use natural language processing and are available by clicking the "Chat” button on the lower right corner of some IRS web pages.

A goal for the IRS is to process tax refunds in less than 21 calendar days. This is generally the result for taxpayers who filed electronically. Taxpayers who submitted a paper return can typically access their return information about four weeks later. The IRS also explains that paper refund checks are 16 times more likely to be lost, misdirected, stolen or not cashed.

With the complexity of the tax system, more than one half of taxpayers continue to use a CPA, an enrolled agent or other tax professional to assist them in filing their return. The IRS reminds taxpayers they can use the IRS Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers with Credentials and Select Qualifications to find a qualified individual.