The IRS has announced that Monday, January 26, 2026, is the opening day of the 2026 income tax filing season. This is the date when the IRS officially begins accepting and processing 2025 federal income tax returns. The California Franchise Tax Board is already accepting e-filed returns.
Tax returns filed early in the filing season are generally processed faster, so filing easier returns as early as possible will help keep the filing season as smooth as possible. However, just because filing season opens on January 26 does not mean that all forms and schedules will be available by that date. Be sure to check with your software provider for release dates for any forms that are not available.
With the passage of the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), the 2026 filing season contains many changes from last year. Be sure to attend Spidell’s Federal and California Tax Update webinar for a complete rundown of all the changes you need to know, including:
- The IRS’s phaseout of paper refund checks (but not payments … yet);
- How to open Trump accounts and elect federal government seed money for newborns;
- OBBBA’s new tax provisions as well as those provisions that were extended by OBBBA;
- Form updates; and
- Many more changes that occurred in 2025.
Sign up for Spidell’s 2025/2026 Federal and California Tax Update webinar and get information on the most important issues facing your practice. Click here and register today.
