The IRS is conducting business as usual during Government Shutdown

February 01, 2019 by Selena Quintanilla
Shutdown

News of a government shutdown in late December brought with it a lot of concerns. As time passed, and many government agencies and programs were placed on hold, taxpayers grew increasingly worried about how the shutdown would affect the filing of their 2018 taxes. More specifically, taxpayers worried that their returns wouldn't be accepted on time, subsequently delaying the issuance of tax refunds. This will not be the case. 
 
On Friday, January 25th, President Trump signed a bill to temporarily reopen the government, and the IRS began accepting tax returns as usual, on Monday, January 28th.

Prior to the reopening, IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig made it clear that the agency would be processing returns and providing refunds as scheduled, despite the government shutdown. The IRS has summoned a significant portion of its employees from furlough to get the job done. 
 
“We are committed to ensuring that taxpayers receive their refunds notwithstanding the government shutdown. I appreciate the hard work of the employees and their commitment to the taxpayers during this period,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. 
 
While taxpayers may be eager to submit their returns as soon as possible, please be advised that changes introduced under the TCJA of 2017 will be in full effect. Therefore, spending some extra time to verify entries, and confirming the validity of supporting documents, is strongly encouraged. 

Please keep in mind that in accord with the PATH Act tax returns claiming, either or both, the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Additional Child Tax Credit will be issued no sooner than mid-February. The IRS explained that the rule applies to the entire refund amount, even if a portion of the refund is not related to these credits.
 
The filing deadlines for 2018 tax returns are as follows:

  •  Monday, April 15th, 2019, for most taxpayers. 
  • Wednesday, April 17th, 2019 for residents of Maine or Massachusetts.

**This extension is granted in observance of the Patriots’ Day holiday on April 15th in Maine and Massachusetts, and the Emancipation Day holiday on April 16th in the District of Columbia.

Tags: shutdown

SEARCH

 

Selena Quintanilla, CTEC
Communications Associate

 

Selena Quintanilla is a Communications Associate at TaxAudit, and a California Tax Education Council (CTEC) registered tax professional. She is now on a mission to bring clarity and comprehensibility to a topic that keeps us all up at night at least once a year-TAXES! Please, send coffee! 


 

Recent Articles

Stack of books, graduation hat, and rolled up diploma
There are some tax-saving opportunities available for graduate school tuition, like the credits for undergraduate expenses. They each have some limitations.
Woman Reading Letter
The IRS sends out a CP14 notice to notify a taxpayer when they have unpaid taxes and/or penalties and interest. What should you do if you get a CP14?
Woman Shopping for Over the Counter Medications
When it comes to medications, you can only deduct the amounts that you pay for medicines or drugs that have been prescribed for you by a doctor.
April 2023 Calendar with Tax Day written on April 18th
In 2023 the tax returns are due April 18th for most taxpayers. However, if you live in California, Alabama, or Georgia your taxes may be due at a later date.
This blog does not provide legal, financial, accounting, or tax advice. The content on this blog is “as is” and carries no warranties. TaxAudit does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy, reliability, and completeness of the content of this blog. Content may become out of date as tax laws change. TaxAudit may, but has no obligation to monitor or respond to comments.