For the 2026 filing season in the U.S., the IRS has announced that it will begin accepting and processing 2025 federal income tax returns on Monday, January 26, 2026.

Quick Scoop

  • U.S. federal taxes (IRS)
    • Tax season opens January 26, 2026 for 2025 returns.
* That’s the first day you can e‑file and have your return actually processed (some software lets you submit earlier, but it won’t transmit to IRS until that date).

* Standard filing deadline for most individual taxpayers is **April 15, 2026**.
  • If you’re in Canada
    • The Canada Revenue Agency says you can start filing your 2025 income tax and benefit return online on February 23, 2026.
* Most Canadians must file and pay any balance due by **April 30, 2026**.

Why the date matters

  • Filing as soon as tax season opens can help you:
    • Get your refund earlier (many early e‑filers get refunds in February, barring extra checks like EITC/CTC reviews).
* Reduce the risk of someone trying to file a fraudulent return in your name.

Simple checklist before filing

  1. Gather all income slips (W‑2/1099 in the U.S., T‑slips in Canada); most are issued by the end of January (U.S.) or end of February (Canada).
  1. Make sure interest, investment, and benefit statements have arrived.
  2. Decide whether you’ll use software, a tax pro, or file yourself.
  3. If you might owe and can’t pay in full, look into payment plans or extensions well before the April deadline.

If you tell me your country (U.S., Canada, or elsewhere), I can narrow this down to exactly which 2026 tax dates apply to you.

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