Your Taxes ˗ What You Need To Know

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has earmarked January 20 as the start of the tax filing period.

Yesterday, the IRS stated that US taxpayers can begin filing their taxes for 2014 January 20th. The tax filing period will begin on schedule unlike last year when there were delays, in spite of a late tax rule introduced by Congress and approved by President Obama, according to the taxing agency.

Previously this month, a bill was passed by Congress that extended over fifty tax breaks, which had expired this time last year. This new congressional tax rule prolongs the tax breaks to the end of the year, permitting taxpayers to take the tax breaks while filing their tax returns for 2014. President Barack Obama approved the bill on December 19.

During the past couple of years, late rule changes introduced by Congress have held up the start of tax filing periods. That will not be the case on this occasion though, said John Koskinen — the current IRS Commissioner.

In an interview, Koskinen stated that the IRS had examined the late changes to the tax laws, and decided that nothing should prevent them from carrying on upgrading and testing their systems.

On a yearly basis, TurboTax free tax returns are filed by millions of people throughout the initial weeks of the tax period. The IRS will be ready to receive this huge influx of tax returns at the start. Taxpayers should be able to obtain their tax refunds quickly after the start of the tax season.

Recently, the IRS stated that it managed to take action on the majority of tax refunds in three weeks. This applies to tax returns that were electronically filed. The IRS states that electronic filing is the quickest method of acquiring a tax refund and recommends it.

Lately, Koskinen informed journalists that tax refunds may be held up, due to agency budget cuts made after the IRS TeaParty targeting scandal. Nonetheless, he would not say how long they would be held up. Many consider this to be the agency hoping for an increase in funding by claiming the tax season will be slow due to a lack of resources.

The Internal Revenue Service will process roughly 150 million tax returns this tax season. For the 2014 reporting period, tax refunds averaged approximately $2800.