When Can I File My Tax Return?

The answer is now. Wednesday was the first day you could file your annual tax return. The Internal Revenue Service revised its opening date for tax season — pushing it back eight days from previous years. 

The tax filing deadline is April 15, which is a Monday this year.

The IRS began accepting tax returns Jan. 30. Most taxpayers should be able to file, though some revised forms may not be immediately available.

You can blame the delay on the federal "fiscal cliff" crisis and the new tax bill Congress passed just after Dec. 31. You can find more information in this Forbes article.

Electronic filing season was originally set to start on Jan. 22 this year.

As a result of the delay, nobody will get a refund in January, an H&R Block official told Financial Advisor.

The IRS will not process paper tax returns before the anticipated Jan. 30 opening date. There is no advantage to filing on paper before the opening date, and taxpayers will receive their tax refunds much faster by using e-file with direct deposit, writes Patch IRS Blogger David Stewart.

There are several forms affected by the late legislation that require more extensive programming and testing of IRS systems. The IRS hopes to begin accepting tax returns including these tax forms between late February and into March; a specific date will be announced in the near future.

The key forms that require more extensive programming changes include Form 5695 (Residential Energy Credits), Form 4562 (Depreciation and Amortization) and Form 3800 (General Business Credit). A full listing of the forms that won’t be accepted until later is available on IRS.gov.

Do you like to do your taxes in person? Here are some financial services offices where you can go to get your taxes done in the Novato area. 

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