If you’re stuck inside after the massive snowstorm across the Northeast, it might be a great time to get started on your taxes.
The Internal Revenue Service officially began accepting federal tax returns on Monday, Jan. 26. The 2026 filing season opened a day earlier than 2025, with taxpayers now able to submit returns through Wednesday, April 15.
About 164 million individual income tax returns are expected to be filed, according to the IRS.
This will be the first filing season since Republicans passed sweeping changes to federal tax law under the legislation previously called the “One Big Beautiful Bill” in July 2025. The agency is adapting to the changes with a smaller workforce after the Trump administration cut about 11,000 jobs.
Among the biggest changes is a new federal deduction for seniors. Taxpayers 65 and older who pay taxes on Social Security income can now deduct up to $6,000, with married couples eligible for up to $12,000 through the 2028 tax year, Axios reported.
The law also eliminates federal income taxes on tips and allows eligible workers to deduct qualified overtime pay, as well as interest on certain car loans. Overtime deductions are capped at $12,500 per return, or $25,000 for joint filers, with benefits phasing out at higher income levels.
Filers in high-tax states may also see relief. The legislation temporarily raises the cap on the state and local tax (SALT) deduction, allowing some higher-income households to deduct more on their federal returns.
The IRS has also updated standard deduction amounts for returns filed in 2026: $15,750 for single filers, $31,500 for married couples filing jointly, and $23,625 for heads of household.
The 2026 filing season will also be the first since the Trump administration ended the Direct File program, a government-run option allowing eligible taxpayers to file federal returns for free. The administration said that it will instead rely on commercial tax preparation companies to provide free filing options.
Policy analysts at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities criticized the decision in a December 2025 blog post.
“For-profit tax prep companies will continue to prioritize profits by driving people toward paid products while downplaying the needs of taxpayers who are likely to remain ‘free forever’ — such as households with low and moderate incomes and those who file relatively simple returns,” the progressive think tank wrote. “These are the very people Direct File, or any other taxpayer-focused free filing program, would serve.”
The IRS Free File program, which relies on software from private companies, opened for taxpayers earning $89,000 or less on Friday, Jan. 9. Free File Fillable Forms became available on January 26 for those preparing returns on their own.
Taxpayers can track refunds through the IRS “Where’s My Refund?” tool and the IRS2Go mobile app. The agency says most refunds are issued within 21 days for e-filed returns, though mailed returns can take at least six weeks.
According to IRS data, the average refund for individual returns was $3,167 through the last full week of the 2025 filing season. That was up slightly from $3,138 in 2024.
You can learn more about online tools and resources to prepare for the filing season on the IRS website.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Greenburgh and receive free news updates.
