The 2026 tax filing season starts on Jan. 26. (Photo illustration by Michael Bocchieri/Getty Images)
Michael Bocchieri/Getty Images
Get your W-2s ready. The IRS will begin accepting 2025 tax returns on Jan. 26, when the agency officially opens the 2026 tax filing season.
“The Internal Revenue Service is ready to help taxpayers meet their tax filing and payment obligations during the 2026 filing season,” said IRS Chief Executive Officer Frank Bisignano. “At the same time, IRS information systems have been updated to incorporate the new tax laws and are ready to efficiently and effectively process taxpayer returns during the filing season.”
Article continues below this ad
Here’s what to know about being able to track your tax return and the deadline to file taxes.
What is a W-2 form?
A W-2 is a tax form that shows how much money an employee earned in the previous year and how much was withheld for federal, state and other taxes. Officially called the Wage and Tax Statement, IRS Form W-2 is prepared by employers, who are required to send copies to their employees and to the IRS.
How do I get my W-2 form?
Employers must provide W-2 forms to employees by Jan. 31. Most workers receive their forms by early February. The W-2 includes details about wages, tax withholdings, certain benefits and contributions to retirement plans during the prior year. You’ll need the information on your W-2 to file your federal and state income tax returns.
Article continues below this ad
When is the last day you can file taxes in 2026?
The standard federal tax return due date is Wednesday, April 15, 2026. This is the last day to file your federal income tax return with the IRS and pay any tax you owe without penalties.
If you file for an extension by April 15, you can extend your filing deadline to Oct. 15, 2026, but any tax owed must still be paid by the April 15 deadline to avoid interest and penalties.
Article continues below this ad
Where’s my refund? Here’s how to track your return
The process of seeing your tax refund status is simple.
On the IRS.gov site, taxpayers who filed their returns can see their refund status on the “Where’s My Refund?” tool. To see the status, you must enter the following information:
- Your Social Security or individual taxpayer ID number (ITIN)
- Your filing status
- The exact refund amount on your return
Article continues below this ad
Once the information is entered, you will see one of the following statuses:
- Return Received – The IRS received your return and is processing it.
- Refund Approved – The IRS approved your refund and is preparing to issue it by the date shown.
- Refund Sent – The IRS sent the refund to your bank or you in the mail. It may take five days for it to show in your bank account or several weeks for your check to arrive in the mail.
How much does it cost to file taxes?
Filing taxes often comes with a slight cost, but there are some options to file taxes for free.
Article continues below this ad
For instance, TurboTax allows you to file taxes for free if you file on your own by Feb. 18 using the TurboTax app, provided you didn’t use TurboTax to file last year.
TurboTax notes on its website that if you filed using TurboTax the year before last, but not last year, you’d still be eligible for this offer. The offer excludes TurboTax Live.
Still, even if you did file with TurboTax, you can opt to have your fees deducted from your return instead of paying upfront.
Article continues below this ad
Here are other platforms to file taxes, but prices may vary:
