Tax Filing Deadline and Due Dates – When You Can File Tax Returns and Get Your Refund

See this article for the latest federal tax filing deadlines.


Generally you can paper file your tax return on January 1st of the following year. But if, like most tax payers, you file an electronic return (e-file) you can only submit your return to the IRS in late January, which is when the IRS starts accepting electronic returns. For most people this time frame is sufficient since it takes a few weeks to receive employer income tax information forms (W-2), self employed and investment income statements (1099-MISC) or forms for any others sources of taxable income. The table below shows the latest filing deadlines for the coming tax year.

2020 Tax Filing Deadlines
Tax Related Activity
January 1First day to file a federal tax return, though the IRS generally will not accept e-file and free file returns until the date below. Even paper based filings won't be processed till later in the month
January 27IRS E-file to go live, allowing submission of electronic tax returns for the vast majority of tax filers. Paper tax returns will begin processing later in mid-February as IRS system updates continue (IRS recommends e-filing for faster refunds)
February 7Date by which you should have received a W-2 from employers you worked for during the tax year. If not, contact their HR/Payroll department to resend tax documents
February 7Deadline for 1099 statements (factors in your AGI income) that report non-employee compensation, bank interest, dividends and distributions from a retirement plan. This date is also the deadline for self-employed individuals to file and pay in full their fourth-quarter estimated tax payment
February 21Financial institutions (e.g Vanguard, Fidelity) must mail out 1099-B, 1099-S and 1099-MISC forms by this date. See what these forms are and if you will need one for your return
March 16S Corporation and Partnership tax returns due
July 15*Tax Day* Last day for filing federal income tax returns and extension requests. The date was extended due the Coronavirus outbreak. State tax filing deadlines have also been extended to this date.
July 15Deadline for filing state income tax returns (for most states) and extension requests. Last day to make a contribution to a Traditional or Roth IRA, Health Savings Account (HSA), SEP-IRA or 401(k)
July 15FBAR (Foreign Bank Account Report) forms due for taxpayers who have signature authority over $10,000 in total in foreign bank accounts in the prior year. Laws enacted last year change the standard FBAR due date to "tax day" (vs June 30th as in years past). No extensions are allowed and forms must be filed electronically.
September 15U.S. citizens or resident aliens living abroad must file tax returns and pay any taxes due by this date (or file for a four-month extension)
October 15Filing approved extended federal, state and S-Corp/Partnership income tax returns Note: you still need to file for an extension request by April 17th

When can I expect my tax refund?  In most cases if you e-file (see recommended providers) and use direct deposit, the IRS estimates that you should receive your federal refund between 8 and 14 days after they accept your return (i.e. the IRS does not send you a notification requesting additional information or an audit notice). Over the last few years the IRS has said that 90% of taxpayers got their refunds within 21 days. If you did not select the electronic deposit option, getting a paper check mailed to you adds about a week.  If your return was filed by mail, then your refund can take up to 6 weeks from the date the IRS receives a complete and accurate return. Once your return is accepted by the IRS, the IRS processes your refund based on the IRS E-file Refund Cycle Chart. Exact refund dates are based on IRS processing times and can be found in IRS Publication 2043 and IRS Topic 152 for both e-filed and mailed returns.

How long will it take the IRS to process my federal return and send me my refund check? The IRS issued more than nine out of 10 refunds to taxpayers in less than 21 days and it expects the same results this year.

State refunds are processed by each individual state, so processing times will vary. As a general rule, you can expect your state tax refund within 30 days of the electronic filing date or the postmark date. To get the current status of your state tax refund, contact your state tax agency or search online for your state’s taxation website.

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85 thoughts on “Tax Filing Deadline and Due Dates – When You Can File Tax Returns and Get Your Refund”

  1. Will I be able to receive my 2011 amended return refund due if I paid 1500 plus they keep 2014 refund now that my amended return is showing refund time limit

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  2. if you owe taxes for 2 years but will be getting $5,800 for the current year(2014) will taxes be deducted for what’s owed and then will I get it after the irs processes my 2 years of unfiling?

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  3. I’m getting a refund for my taxes, I don’t make enough to owe. Do i still need to file an extension.

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  4. I filed my year 2013 refund feb 11th of 2015 I mailed it in but I asked for direct deposit when I checked the IRS tool it said its scheduled to be mailed March 6th is that because it’s an over due return? Or will it really be mailed out?or should it be in my account?

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    • Yes because it’s an over due you have to get a paper check that was told to me but I have a question how long after you mail your 2013 refund did it take for you to get a dated on it ?

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  5. I filed my federal on jan 29 2015 efiling with an agent and it still says today still processing why is it taking so long

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  6. Question? I work in a day care i made $3500 i asked my boss for any tax return forms.. she told me that “you dont need anyform” its ok do your taxes. I did my taxes joined with my husband on feb 10 2015, now, march 2, 2015 I recieved a form 1099 from my boss. Telling me that I do need the form now. I dont know what to do. If i recieved the refund already. Please any an advice. Thanks.

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  7. My refund was delayed but when I called the irs they told me they put in a report so it can be released my mail, does anyone know when or how long it takes to receive it once the report was put out for emergency release they did the report last week on 2/23/15

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    • I am going through the same thing. Someone claimed my children. I sent FULL proof with my tax return the week Of February 2nd. I guess I will wait one more week to check it. I hope it is processed. These are my 2 children!! I don’t know how they got my kids social number!! I hope the IRS get them!. I really can’t wait to get a date for the return..wow. I want to move us to Las Vegas with our money. I want to work in Las Vegas now so I can get ready to file next year with that good job. But I really need my taxes to relocate from L.A.

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  8. I files Jan 20 2015 It got accepted Jan 23 got approved Jan 30 I got a date Feb 4 it sent Feb 7 and on Feb 8 had code 1121 processing delay I talked to the lrs it was randomly selected for identity two weeks ago I I’d verified myself they told me I should receive it sent n six weeks … When. Can I expect my taxes

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    • Hey… What number did you call??– 1800-829-1040?? And you talked to someone??. I called that number and (you know how you have to enter your information?) Well I guess since my e-file got rejected I mailed it. I put in my info and the automatic system said no info at this time. IS THERE ANYWAY I CAN GET THROUGH before my mail is processed??? Please help

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  9. It’s because of identity theft problems I was a victim of that someone tried to file in my name in lake Jackson Texas. If yuh have been a victim of identity theft then yuh have to wait till March for your refund , My date will be 03/26

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  10. I have wait 22 days an having resive nothing an no paper work so I call today they told me I have to wait 68weeks if I don’t get it in that then I have to call agan like please tell me that ain’t tru uggh what’s going on for real

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    • They told me the same thing Friday 6-8week I have to wait they need more time and my paper work is OK it not nothing wrong with it OK

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  11. I filed my 2013 and my 2014 this years on feb 3 2015. I can locate my 2014 on where is my refund but I cant locate my 2013 . Why is this ? Will I get it back? What is going on?

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    • I did the same thing I filed both 2013 and 14.. got 2014 really fast but haven’t received 2013…I filed Feb 23. By some chance have got received your 2013 as of yet? Asking since you filed roughly over 2 weeks from when I did.

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  12. Its February 2nd and my husband still has not received his W2 yet. What can we do and whom do v we talk to????

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  13. Help me please. I filled February 4th and my taxes were excepted feb7th. I filled head of household and claimed both of my children and have my own buisness so I have a schedule c. I’m still waiting. All the websites are saying my taxes are still being processed and I need this money now and every time I call irs I get automated people HELP

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    • Sorry to hear about your plight. Unfortunately, per 2012 data, the IRS said it issued more than nine out of 10 refunds to taxpayers in less than 21 days in 2012, and it expects the same results in 2013. So yours could be delayed for up to 21 days.

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      • I finally spoke to the identity theft department today. Due to I had my identity stollen in 2010. So I wain provided with a win number for 2011 but only for 2011. So now I’m to wait a possible six more weeks from now or longer help is there anything I can do and why am I punished for something I didn’t do

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  14. Well I file on Feb 14 2013 and still wmr says still processing ugh IRS told me to wait till 21 days before I call them. Ugh

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  15. I filed my federal on Jan. 30th and it was received on the 31st. I have called 3x and each person has told me something different. Two said there was an error on my return and they had not sent a letter, so it was something the IRS could correct. It has been the “21 days” they talk about, but nothing. I have received my state refund. How long is this going to take???

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    • You should have got it by now. Unless something was amiss with your tax return. Eg. if a dependent is claimed by 2 people in their tax return, the IRS may hold your return for tax audit

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  16. My husband filed Jan,28 and still no refund. He claimed our 2 kids. We worked and did barber work on,the,side. He claimed both incomes. He got a letter saying our refund is being held for further review and we dont have to do anything. hWhen can i expect,my refund? Why did they pick my husband to review?

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  17. I have the education form 8863 and I filed Jan 30 and been accepted, I understand that the form did not get released until Feb 14. How much longer and are they behind. I have bills to pay and a single mother? Gettting frustrated and really impatient.

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  18. Our taxes was turned in Jan 30th, by tax lady. We still have not received our Federal tax return but we have our state refund. It was turned in E file. How much longer is it going to take? Everyone around us is getting theirs but ours :(

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    • Did you check the IRS, “where is my refund tool?”. IT should give you an idea. The other problem could be that there is an issue with your tax return so has to be manually reviewed by the IRS.

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      • Yes we check it daily. I called the IRS myself. The woman told me there is something wrong with our federal. But she could not tell me what it was. That it would be sent in a letter to us. Everyone i know that they are taking their money. They are taking state and federal checks, does that make a difference? We got our state check!

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  19. We e filed 2/5/13, they accepted our refund the same day. It still says processing but my brother did his taxes at the same place as me a few hours later than I did and he’s already received his check 3 days ago. Why would he get his before us? What could be the hold up. I’ve called the IRS and they said nothing should be holding up our check but still day after day it says processing and some days it says I have to wait 24 hours after the receive it to get info when I know they received it 2/5/13.

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  20. My boss did not deduct federal taxes from my paycheck. Now I owe almost 2,500 dollars. I know that it is due April 15th, but I will not have the money to send in until 2 weeks later on the april 25th. Will I get penalized if they are two weeks late?

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  21. The Internal Revenue Service announced that taxpayers will be able to start filing two major tax forms next week covering education credits and depreciation. Starting Sunday, Feb. 10, the IRS will start processing tax returns that contain Form 4562, Depreciation and Amortization. And on Thursday, Feb. 14, the IRS plans to start processing Form 8863, Education Credits.

    This step clears the way for almost all taxpayers to start filing their tax returns for 2012. These forms affected the largest groups of taxpayers who weren’t able to file following the Jan. 30 opening of the 2013 tax season.

    The IRS will be able to accept the education credits and depreciation forms following the completion of reprogramming and testing of its systems.

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  22. I file january 19 but it was sent on the 30 I looked at my paper work and my tax preparer gave me school credit when will I m expected to receive my refund

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  23. When do employers have to mail their 1099 forms to their contractors? I’m still waiting for a 1099 and am wondering if I should be concerned or do something.

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  24. Will they accept my taxes tomorrow, Jan30th? Im filing my reg 1040 along with form 8863, for education refund. I wasn’t sure if they were accepting them the 30th since I have the education form also.

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    • You can submit/mail your taxes on Jan30th, but the IRS will not process till later in the month. Their official statement is, “The Internal Revenue Service announced today that processing of tax returns claiming education credits will begin by the middle of February. Taxpayers using Form 8863, Education Credits, can begin filing their tax returns after the IRS updates its processing systems. Form 8863 is used to claim two higher education credits — the American Opportunity Tax Credit and the Lifetime Learning Credit”

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  25. If I have a son in college and am paying for his college education – vbut he gets a job and makes about $4,000 in this job while going to school can I still deduct him and his college.

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  26. The IRS has confirmed that it will begin processing most individual income tax returns on Jan. 30 after updating forms and completing programming and testing of its processing systems.

    The IRS will not process paper or electronic tax returns before the Jan. 30 opening date, so there is no advantage to filing on paper before then. Using e-file is the best way to file an accurate tax return, and using e-file with direct deposit is the fastest way to get a refund. Many major software providers are accepting tax returns in advance of the Jan. 30 processing date. These software providers will hold onto the returns and then electronically submit them after the IRS systems open. If you use commercial software, check with your provider for specific instructions about when they will accept your return. Software companies and tax professionals send returns to the IRS, but the timing of the refunds is determined by IRS processing, which starts Jan. 30.

    After the IRS starts processing returns, it expects to process refunds within the usual timeframes. Last year, the IRS issued more than nine out of 10 refunds to taxpayers in less than 21 days, and it expects the same results in 2013. Even though the IRS issues most refunds in less than 21 days, some tax returns will require additional review and take longer. To help protect against refund fraud, the IRS has put in place stronger security filters this filing season.

    After taxpayers file a return, they can track the status of the refund with the “Where’s My Refund?” tool available on the IRS.gov website. New this year, instead of an estimated date, Where’s My Refund? will give people an actual personalized refund date after the IRS processes the tax return and approves the refund. “Where’s My Refund?” will be available for use after the IRS starts processing tax returns on Jan. 30. Initial information will generally be available within 24 hours after the IRS receives the taxpayer’s e-filed return or four weeks after mailing a paper return. The system updates every 24 hours, usually overnight. There’s no need to check more than once a day.

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  27. hello i been wondering if i owe e.d.d a sum amount of money and have not been sending in payments will my federal refund get deducted or is it just the state refund hope to hear soon thank u

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  28. Hi my uncle has lived with me the entire year he’s in his early 40 without a income I provide all meals and clothing for him hes not on my lease though can I file him on my tax return

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    • Assuming the IRS starts processing on Jan 30th, people who e-file should start seeing their refunds by mid-Feb. Exact refund dates are based on IRS processing times and can be found in IRS Publication 2043 and IRS Topic 152 for both e-filed and mailed returns.

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      • Hate to tell ya but those do not give a date for when people should get their refund!! If they would give a date and better information people would not be so upset.

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  29. If I give birth next monty (Feb. 2013), will I be able to claim this child on my 2012 taxes before the 15th of April? Just a question that been pondering my mind.

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    • No. Since the child was not born in 2012 you cannot claim him/her for your 2012 return. Further, IRS rule state that the qualifying child must live with you for more than half the year. More than half a year means, at minimum, six months and one day.

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      • The rule that the child must live with you for more than half the year does not apply when dealing with the birth of a child however the child must be born by Dec 31, 2012 to claim the child on your taxes.

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  30. My gf has a 9yr old son, we all live in the same house, same checking account, etc! Can I legally claim her son on my taxes?

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    • For your federal tax return, that is correct. The IRS may start processing return’s earlier, but their official start date is Jan 30th. So don’t expect much processing to happen before then.

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  31. My 3yr old daughter and I live with my mother and pay her rent.. would I be able to claim head of household because of my daughter? We both file separate taxes and she doesn’t claim my daughter or myself how does this work.

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    • This is a complex issue because of the definition of household. According to the IRS the “head of household filing status is not a matter simply determined by physical boundaries, but by all the facts of a case.” In other words, just because two families share the same physical address, that does not automatically mean they cannot both be head of household. Instead, people will need to carefully analyze the actual circumstances of their situation. Taxpayers who share the same physical address will need to prove whether they “conduct themselves as separate households or one household” and especially “whether each family acts independently of each other in matters not related to the house. The following 9pg document (copy url to your browser) from the IRS sheds more light on this – irs.gov/pub/irs-wd/1998-041.pdf

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  32. My boyfriend has not worked all year he was laid off. He has be unsuccessful in finding a job, but he does collect unemployment. Can I claim him on my taxes?

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    • If your gross income. which includes unemployment income, was $3,800 or more, you usually cannot be claimed as a dependent unless you are a qualifying child. Which is not the case with your boyfriend. So I don’t think you can claim him on your taxes. See IRS Publication 501, Exemptions, Standard Deduction, and Filing Information for additional tests to determine who can be claimed as a dependent.

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  33. I make $120,000 a year and I was expecting a 2% cut to my paycheck this year but when I just checked it, it was more like a 6% drop why???

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    • Jenny – There are 2 reasons why your pay cut in 2013 was larger than expected. The first, and most likely one, is that you are probably comparing your last paycheck in 2012 to your newest one in 2013. Because you make more than the 2012 SSI wage base limit (~ 112,000) your income above that (8K) is NOT subject to SSI payroll taxes. So your last few paychecks were higher than earlier in the year. My suggestion is to compare a 2012 pay check from mid-year to your Jan 2013 one and you should see a 2% drop. Contact your payroll department if this is not the case.

      The second possibility is that your company has not updated their systems with the fiscal cliff legislation changes so they have got the Clinton-era tax rates (because the bush-era ones expired on Dec 31st) in place. This should be fixed and you will get a credit. Again call your payroll/HR department to confirm.

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  34. I was reading that without a debt-ceiling agreement, the government could be forced to delay tax refunds because there would be no money left to pay them? Any basis to this?

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    • No formal annoucement has been made on this. But unless there were significant delays it is unlikely the IRS or Treasuary would make this public. But stay tuned if the debt celing debate drags on longer than expected.

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  35. @ taxman what ur saying is not true! i am a single mother with four children and every year someone carries 2 of my kids on thier taxes… so basically i work hard all year and someone beats me to the irs to file thier taxes nd each year the irs advise me that it wont happen the next year but every year it does!! To make a long story short i get my money i just have to file a paper return.. sad huh??

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  36. the IRS said it will make information available soon about paycheck withholding to reflect the new tax rates that will be in place for 2013.

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    • You call the IRS and let them know..You have to show proof that the child is yours and you have custody of them and they were living with you..Call 1-800-829-1040 and follow the prompts

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    • File a paper return and submit the necessary to let the IRS know someone claimed your child and they correct it so that whoever claimed your child will not be able to claim anyone’s child for several years. Get with your preparer and they should be able to help you.

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      • Taxman that isn’t true the IRS does nothing. If someone beats you to the punch then you are stuck to submit your taxes by mail which holds you up cause someone is using the information. I reported it to the IRS for the last 2 years with birth certificates of my children and no action has been taking. I always receive something from the IRS telling me that if I am not the guardian or parents of this child then action will be taken later but nothing was done. Because it was done the following year.

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        • The problem with proving your children are yours and that they lived with you through out the full year is more difficult then just showing a birth certificate. I was audited one year for my EIC and I had to find a document that had my childrens name, my name, my address, the childrens birth date, and social security numbers all in one document. It wasn’t easy. What worked for me was I had child support papers that had all the information on one paper. Good luck with the IRS

  37. You can prepare your tax return at any time – H&R Block will make sure that it is efiled and received by the IRS when their systems are ready.

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    • The IRS anticipates that the vast majority of all taxpayers can file starting Jan. 30, regardless of whether they file electronically or on paper. The IRS will be able to accept tax returns affected by the late Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) patch as well as the three major “extender” provisions for people claiming the state and local sales tax deduction, higher education tuition and fees deduction and educator expenses deduction. There are several forms affected by the late legislation that require more extensive programming and testing of IRS systems. The IRS hopes to begin accepting tax returns including these tax forms between late February and into March; a specific date will be announced in the near future.

      The key forms that require more extensive programming changes include Form 5695 (Residential Energy Credits), Form 4562 (Depreciation and Amortization) and Form 3800 (General Business Credit). A full listing of the forms that won’t be accepted until later is available on IRS.gov.

      Reply

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