How The Government Shutdown Might Affect Your Tax Return
With the longest government shutdown in history showing no signs of ending anytime soon, many are wondering how that might affect the upcoming tax season. Although the deadline for filing...
With the longest government shutdown in history showing no signs of ending anytime soon, many are wondering how that might affect the upcoming tax season. Although the deadline for filing your taxes isn't until April 15, some like to file early so they can enjoy their refund before spring.
Questions about whether or not the government shutdown would affect tax returns began swirling a few weeks ago, when people began wondering if refunds would be delayed the same way they were during the 2011 government shutdown. Despite the speculation, both The White House and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have assured Americans that their refund will not be delayed.
You might be wondering how this is possible, with the IRS only operating with roughly 12 percent of its workforce at the moment. The IRS explained that many of its furloughed employees will be called back to help process tax returns, ensuring that they are completed in a timely manner.
These employees will begin processing returns on January 28, 2019. Taxpayers that have completed returns can submit them anytime after this date. There's no need to wait until the government opens back up as the IRS has assured Americans that they will have plenty of staff on hand to process returns.
To make the process of doing your taxes even easier, the IRS is offering a free filing service with companies like H&R Block and TurboTax assisting Americans with all of their tax needs. The service can be accessed directly through the IRS website at IRS.gov/freefile.
Taxpayers will need to provide personal information about themselves such as which state they reside in, how old they are, and their gross annual income. Based on the answers provided through the Free File Software Lookup Tool, Americans will be directed to the tax company's website that best suits their needs.
There's also a handy app from the IRS that allows taxpayers to ask questions pertaining to their return as well as check the status of their refund. The free app is called IRS2Go and can be downloaded from Google Play, the Apple App store, and Amazon.
IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig stated that the IRS is "committed to ensuring that taxpayers receive their refunds" despite the fact that the government has been shut down for nearly a month. He also thanked employees for their "hard work" and "commitment" to taxpayers during the government shutdown and busy tax season.
How quickly returns are processed remains to be seen, with the start of tax season still two weeks away. If Americans are to believe what The White House and IRS are telling them, refunds should be received in the same time frame they've been received in the past.
Questions about whether or not the government shutdown would affect tax returns began swirling a few weeks ago, when people began wondering if refunds would be delayed the same way they were during the 2011 government shutdown. Despite the speculation, both The White House and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have assured Americans that their refund will not be delayed.
You might be wondering how this is possible, with the IRS only operating with roughly 12 percent of its workforce at the moment. The IRS explained that many of its furloughed employees will be called back to help process tax returns, ensuring that they are completed in a timely manner.
These employees will begin processing returns on January 28, 2019. Taxpayers that have completed returns can submit them anytime after this date. There's no need to wait until the government opens back up as the IRS has assured Americans that they will have plenty of staff on hand to process returns.
To make the process of doing your taxes even easier, the IRS is offering a free filing service with companies like H&R Block and TurboTax assisting Americans with all of their tax needs. The service can be accessed directly through the IRS website at IRS.gov/freefile.
Taxpayers will need to provide personal information about themselves such as which state they reside in, how old they are, and their gross annual income. Based on the answers provided through the Free File Software Lookup Tool, Americans will be directed to the tax company's website that best suits their needs.
There's also a handy app from the IRS that allows taxpayers to ask questions pertaining to their return as well as check the status of their refund. The free app is called IRS2Go and can be downloaded from Google Play, the Apple App store, and Amazon.
IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig stated that the IRS is "committed to ensuring that taxpayers receive their refunds" despite the fact that the government has been shut down for nearly a month. He also thanked employees for their "hard work" and "commitment" to taxpayers during the government shutdown and busy tax season.
How quickly returns are processed remains to be seen, with the start of tax season still two weeks away. If Americans are to believe what The White House and IRS are telling them, refunds should be received in the same time frame they've been received in the past.
| About The Author |
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Gerald Woods is Director of Operation at Solace Connect, LLC based in San Antonio, TX. He has written many articles on various topics dealing with onli |
