The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that taxpayers can begin filing their 2022 taxes beginning on January 23.
In an effort to handle the over 168 million tax returns that are expected to be filed this year, the IRS has hired more support staff and put resources in place to help make the process easier for taxpayers.
“This filing season is the first to benefit the IRS and our nation’s tax system from multi-year funding in the Inflation Reduction Act,” said Doug O’Donnell, acting IRS commissioner. “With these new additional resources, taxpayers and tax professionals will see improvements in many areas of the agency this year.
“We’ve trained thousands of new employees to answer phones and help people. While much work remains after several difficult years, we expect people to experience improvements this tax year. That’s just the start as we work to add new long-term transformation efforts that will make things even smoother in future years. We are very excited to begin to deliver what taxpayers want and our employees know we could do this with funding.”
What resources are available for taxpayers?
With just about four months to have all of the proper tax paperwork filed, it’s important for taxpayers to know what resources are available to them and what tips the IRS has for a smooth filing.
Should any questions come up during the process, the IRS urges taxpayers to first head to its website – IRS.gov. While the agency is taking steps to improve its phone-answering service, experts anticipate that the number of calls will remain higher than normal. To get answers as fast as possible, the website can be accessed at any time without having to wait on hold.
According to the IRS, the fastest way for taxpayers to receive their refunds is to file electronically with direct deposit. A prepaid debit card, mobile app, or bank account can all be linked to your 2022 return, which will help speed up the refund process.
The IRS explained that most taxpayers will see their refund hit their account within three weeks – as long as they use direct deposit. To track your refund, the Where’s My Refund feature is available.
The best way to avoid a delayed refund is to have all of your tax documents (W2s, 1099s, Social Security number, etc.) prepared and ready to go when it comes time to file. Reducing the likelihood that there are any errors on your return will help move the refund process along and avoid any late fees or penalties from the IRS.
For more tips, resources, and information on preparing for tax season, the IRS has more resources available here.