The IRS recently announced that, for the second year in a row, it will delay the start of tax season. However, the April 15 filing deadline, which is set by statute, remains in place. Last year it was the fiscal cliff negotiations that pushed back the start of the tax filing period. This year, of course, it is the 16-day government shutdown that put the IRS approximately one to two weeks behind in preparing for the 2014 filing season.

According to an IRS news release, the government entity is “exploring options to shorten the expected delay and will announce a final decision on the start of the 2014 filing season in December.”  The original start date of the 2014 filing season was January 21, so with a one- to two-week delay, the IRS will potentially start accepting and processing 2013 individual tax returns no earlier than Jan. 28 and no later than Feb. 4.

Although the IRS is behind schedule, we encourage our clients to start preparing now in order to be prepared for filing as soon as the opening date of tax season arrives. Start organizing your tax documents and don’t hesitate to contact our office if you need tax planning advice or have questions about this tax season.