You can generally file your federal taxes as soon as the IRS opens “tax season,” which is usually in the last half of January, and you have until April 15, 2026, to file without an extension. The exact opening day for e‑filing is announced by the IRS each year, but it almost always falls in late January.

Quick Scoop

For the 2025 tax year (filed in 2026), most people must file by April 15, 2026, which is the standard national Tax Day. This date is the deadline, not the first day you can file.

When tax season starts

  • The IRS considers “tax season” to run from the day it starts accepting returns, usually in late January, until Tax Day in mid‑April.
  • The specific opening date shifts slightly each year, but it typically falls in the last week of January.

How soon you can actually file

  • You can complete your return as soon as you have all your forms (W‑2s, 1099s, etc.), but the IRS will only accept and process it once tax season officially opens.
  • Many tax software companies let you prepare early and then automatically submit your return the first day the IRS begins accepting e‑files.

Key 2026 deadlines

  • For most taxpayers, the last day to file 2025 federal taxes without an extension is Wednesday, April 15, 2026.
  • If you request an extension by April 15, 2026, you usually have until October 15, 2026, to file, though any tax owed is still due by April 15.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.