For the 2026 tax season in the U.S., the IRS will start accepting and processing 2025 federal individual income tax returns on January 26, 2026.

Key 2026 IRS dates

  • Opening day (main start date):
    • Monday, January 26, 2026 – this is the official first day of the 2026 filing season when the IRS begins accepting and processing most 2025 individual returns.
  • Possible earlier filing for some:
    • Certain “qualified taxpayers” using the IRS Free File program may be able to submit returns as early as January 9, 2026 , though full processing for everyone still centers around January 26.
  • Regular filing deadline:
    • Wednesday, April 15, 2026 – last day to file 2025 federal returns and pay any tax due for most taxpayers, unless you request an extension.

Quick Scoop for context

  • This 2026 season covers 2025 income (wages, self‑employment, etc.) reported on your 2025 return filed in 2026.
  • Tax prep software and some pros may let you prepare and queue your return earlier in January, but it will not be officially accepted by the IRS until the season opens (generally January 26, or January 9 for a narrow Free File group).
  • If you need more time, you can usually file an extension to push the filing deadline to October 15, 2026, but any tax owed is still due by April 15.

TL;DR: For “when are they accepting taxes 2026,” the main answer is: the IRS opens the 2026 filing season and starts accepting 2025 returns on January 26, 2026 , with some limited early Free File acceptance around January 9, 2026.

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