You generally “do your taxes” once a year, between late January and mid‑April, for the income you earned the previous year.

Quick Scoop: Key dates (U.S., 2026 season)

For the 2026 filing season (covering your 2025 income):

  • You can start filing your federal return when the IRS opens e‑filing, which is in late January 2026 (the IRS announced January 26, 2026 as the start date).
  • The normal federal tax deadline is April 15, 2026 for most calendar‑year filers.
  • If you need more time, you can file an extension ; that usually moves your filing deadline to October 15, 2026 , but you still must pay what you owe by April 15 to avoid extra interest and some penalties.
  • Employers are supposed to send you your W‑2s and most 1099s by January 31, 2026 , so many people actually start doing their taxes in late January or early February once those forms arrive.

Think of it like this:

In early–mid February, most people have their forms, run numbers in software or with a preparer, and aim to file well before April 15 to avoid last‑minute stress.

If you’re outside the U.S., the dates and rules can be very different (for example, Canada’s individual filing deadline is usually April 30), so you’d want to check your country’s tax authority site.

Simple rule of thumb

  • Earned income last year? Plan to prepare your taxes in February–March.
  • Make sure everything is filed by mid‑April (or an extension is filed by then if you can’t finish in time).

TL;DR: For 2025 income in the U.S., you “do your taxes” sometime after late January 2026 and before April 15, 2026, unless you file an extension.

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