Story perspectives

IRS to Open 2025 Tax Returns Amid Staffing Cuts

1/8/2026

Summary

Story summary

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will begin accepting 2025 tax returns on January 26, 2026, with a filing deadline of April 15, 2026.
Taxpayers can request six-month extensions.
This tax season is complicated because One Big Beautiful Bill Act retroactively affects 2025 returns.
The IRS expects to process about 164 million returns, mostly filed electronically.
The IRS's workforce has fallen from 102,000 to about 75,000, potentially affecting service quality.

History

Historical Context

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has undergone significant changes since the ratification of the 16th Amendment in 1913, which allowed federal income tax collection. The IRS Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998 aimed to modernize the agency, which had a workforce of 102,000 at the time, in response to increasing tax complexities. Today, with about 75,000 employees, the IRS processes approximately 164 million returns, facing ongoing service challenges.

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Story summary

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will begin accepting 2025 tax returns on January 26, 2026, with a filing deadline of April 15, 2026.
Taxpayers can request six-month extensions.
This tax season is complicated because One Big Beautiful Bill Act retroactively affects 2025 returns.
The IRS expects to process about 164 million returns, mostly filed electronically.
The IRS's workforce has fallen from 102,000 to about 75,000, potentially affecting service quality.

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