For the 2026 filing season (for your 2025 federal return), the exact IRS start date has not been officially announced yet as of early January 2026.

Quick Scoop

  • The IRS usually begins accepting e‑filed returns in the last week of January.
  • Several tax experts expect 2026 season to open sometime around January 26–30, 2026 , but this is still an estimate, not a confirmed IRS date.
  • The standard federal filing deadline for 2026 is expected to be April 15, 2026 , unless changed by weekends/holidays or new IRS guidance.

What is known right now

  • The IRS has publicly said only that the 2026 filing season is “drawing near” and is urging people to get ready, but has not given the official “accepting returns” start date yet.
  • News outlets and tax-calendar sites report that as of late December 2025–early January 2026 , no formal start date had been published, which is not unusual.

What you can realistically expect

  • Pattern from recent years and current expert calendars:
    • Likely IRS opening window: late January 2026 (roughly the last week).
* If the IRS opens that week and you file right away, many straightforward refunds are typically issued **within about 10–21 days**.

Practical tips while you wait

  • Start gathering records now (W‑2s, 1099s, other income and deduction documents) so you can file as soon as the IRS flips the switch.
  • Keep an eye on:
    • The IRS “Newsroom” and “Get Ready” pages.
    • Major tax software providers (TurboTax, H&R Block), which usually update their banners the day the IRS officially starts accepting returns.

If you want, you can share your country or state, and the answer can be narrowed further, since state and non‑US tax agencies often have their own start dates.

TL;DR: They have not officially started accepting 2025 returns yet, and no exact opening date is posted, but expect the 2026 tax season to start in the last week of January 2026 , with April 15, 2026 as the main deadline.

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