The Internal Revenue Service announced today that it will delay the start of tax filing season until Feb. 12. The delayed start date will allow the IRS time to do additional programming and system testing to ensure that taxpayers that did not receive their economic impact payment can claim the Recovery Rebate Credit when filing their 2020 tax return.
The IRS is urging taxpayers to file electronically with direct deposit as soon as possible. “Given the pandemic, this is one of the nation’s most important filing seasons ever,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. “This start date will ensure that people get their needed tax refunds quickly while also making sure they receive any remaining stimulus payments they are eligible for as quickly as possible.”