By Ashlea Ebeling
The IRS said Friday that it will accept 2024 individual income tax returns starting Jan. 27.
Many taxpayers will have more options to file for free this year. Online accounts will have more functionality. More chatbots will be available to answer questions.
IRS modernization efforts mean "more tools, more simplicity, less stress, less burden," said IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel.
More than 140 million tax returns are expected to be filed by the April 15 deadline, and more than half are expected to use a paid preparer, according to the IRS.
The IRS is expanding its Direct File program that lets certain taxpayers with simple returns file directly with the IRS for free. This year it will be available in 25 states, up from 12 last year. It will cover more tax situations than last year and let users opt-in to import biographical and W-2 data from their IRS accounts.
Taxpayers with adjusted gross income of $84,000 or less can file for free using commercial tax software via IRS Free File. The IRS partners with eight tax software companies. For 2025, ezTaxReturn.com will provide an IRS Free File product in Spanish.
In addition to FreeFile and Direct File, many taxpayers can work with IRS-certified volunteers who provide free tax help at Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling For the Elderly programs.
The IRS expects more taxpayers to sign up for an IRS online account, where you can view payment status, get an identity protection pin, view certain notices and respond to messages from IRS employees.
This item is part of a Wall Street Journal live coverage event. The full stream can be found by searching P/WSJL (WSJ Live Coverage).
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
January 10, 2025 14:00 ET (19:00 GMT)
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