[Updated with dates to file your 2012 taxes in 2013] Generally you can paper file your 2012 tax return on January 1st 2013. 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. 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 2012 taxable income.
Even if you do file early, the IRS will not process any returns until Jan 30th 2013 – the official date of the 2013 IRS tax filing season. This has been delayed from the usual mid-January filing date due to changes in the fiscal cliff legislation, know as the American Taxpayer Relief Act (ATRA). Some groups with complicated returns may not be able to submit their filing before late February because of the need for more extensive form and processing system changes by the IRS.
The table below shows the main 2013 deadlines for filing 2012 tax returns and requesting extensions.
| Deadline Date | |
|---|---|
| January 1, 2013 | First day to file a 2012 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 30, 2013 | IRS e-file to go live, allowing submission of electronic tax returns for the vast majority of tax filers |
| April 15, 2013 | *Tax Day* Last day for filing 2012 federal income tax returns and extension requests |
| April 15, 2013 | Deadline for filing state income tax returns (for most states) and extension requests |
| October 15, 2013 | Filing extended 2013 federal and state income returns |
| April 15, 2016 | Filing a 2012 tax amendment. You can file an amended or previous year return anytime, but you have a deadline of 3 years from the original due date to claim any tax refund. |
How long will it take the IRS to process my 2012 federal return and send me my refund check in 2013: The IRS 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.
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.
{ 58 comments… read them below or add one }
Great article Andy and thanks for your proactive responses..
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
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.
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
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
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???
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
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?
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.
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
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.
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!
Can they keep your tax check for Medical Bills? I was asked that!!!
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.
Frustrating I know. Keep checking the IRS where is my refund tool and stay patient.
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?
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.
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
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.
If I filled form 8863 Which is the school credit, when will I get my taxes? What is mid-feb????
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.
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”
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.
See this article I wrote recently which should answer your q. http://www.savingtoinvest.com/2013/01/who-can-i-claim-as-a-dependent-for-exemptions-tax-credits-and-head-of-household-status.html
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.
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
they will take it from your state refund.
i had to pay a student loan last year and they will take the money from your federal first and your state if you still owe.
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
Cassandra – See this article I wrote recently which should answer your q. http://www.savingtoinvest.com/2013/01/who-can-i-claim-as-a-dependent-for-exemptions-tax-credits-and-head-of-household-status.html
What is a rough day people should start to receive there refunds
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
Because he is not related to your he is not your qualifying child and, because he is your girlfriend’s qualifying child, he is not your qualifying relative. As a result, he is not your qualifying person for head of household purposes and you cannot claim him as a dependent
See this article – http://www.savingtoinvest.com/2013/01/who-can-i-claim-as-a-dependent-for-exemptions-tax-credits-and-head-of-household-status.html for additional tests to determine who can be claimed as a dependent.
So if I e-filled jan. 17th the irs still won’t process my tax info untill the 30th in every state?
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.
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.
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
Yes you can file head of household…..plain n simple……
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?
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.
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???
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.
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?
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.
@ 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??
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.
What do I when someone file my child with out my pormission or notifying me
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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