This Is the First Day You Can File Your Taxes in 2026
Key Points
The IRS will begin accepting tax returns later this month.
Filing early means you could receive your refund sooner.
It could also help you avoid being a victim of tax refund fraud.
- The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook ›
This article is intended for educational purposes only and is not tax advice. For guidance on your personal situation, please contact a tax professional.
Filing taxes isn't something most people look forward to. However, getting your tax return in early could work to your benefit.
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The IRS just announced that it will begin accepting 2025 tax returns on Jan. 26 this year. The official tax-filing deadline is April 15.
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Getting your tax return done early could benefit you
A lot of people procrastinate on their tax returns and don't submit them until they're right up against the filing deadline. But if you're able to get your taxes done in late January or soon after, it could work to your benefit.
For one thing, the sooner you submit your tax return, the sooner you might get your tax refund -- if you're entitled to one. Also, filing your taxes early could help you avoid falling victim to fraud.
If a criminal somehow has your Social Security number, they may try to use it to file a tax return in your name and steal your refund. However, if you file your tax return first, theirs should get rejected as a duplicate.
Of course, it can be tricky to file a tax return in late January because you may not have all of your documents available at that point. So don't sweat it if you're not quite ready. The point is, rather, to try to get your taxes filed earlier in the season rather than later.
The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook
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