Taxpayer asks:
Can I file my taxes before January 30? I want my refund.
Taxgirl says:
I’ve received about thirty different variations on this question alone since the IRS announced that they were delaying the start of filing season. E-file was set to open on January 22, 2013, but due to the last-minute tax deal (which also affects many 2012 returns), the IRS has pushed it off. Filing season for both paper and electronic returns begins on January 30, 2013. This means that the IRS will not process ANY individual income tax returns submitted before that date.
What might be causing some of the confusion is that some tax prep companies are running ads advising that there is “no need to wait for January 30” because they are open for business now. This may, in fact, be true for many preparers. But don’t confuse the facts. While a tax preparer may be able to begin working on your return now (assuming that you have all of the necessary paperwork), the IRS is very clear that they will not begin accepting and processing returns until January 30. If you have your return prepared now, that return will be queued up by your preparer to be sent to IRS when tax season opens but will not actually be filed early.
To be clear, I am in no way discouraging you from making an appointment now, just advising that, as far as IRS is concerned, you’re not getting your refund any faster by visiting your preparer today than you are doing it tomorrow (the workload of your tax preparer might be another issue). So don’t call your preparer and ask if you can file early (you can’t) and don’t plan on calling the IRS in January about your refund (they can’t help you). This season, we’re all going to need a little patience. Hit it, Axl:
Before you go: be sure to read my disclaimer. Remember, I’m a lawyer and we love disclaimers.
If you have a question, here’s how to Ask The Taxgirl.
