The Internal Revenue Service today opened the 2013 filing
season by announcing a variety of enhanced products and services to help
taxpayers prepare and file their tax returns by the April 15 deadline.
New and expanded services for taxpayers this year include a redesigned
IRS.gov web site that’s easier to navigate and improved service options,
including more video-conferencing assistance sites and additional social media
tools. In addition, the IRS has stepped up its enforcement efforts to protect
taxpayers from refund fraud and identity theft.
The IRS began accepting and processing most individual tax returns today
after updating forms and completing programming and testing of its processing
systems to reflect the American Taxpayer Relief Act (ATRA) that Congress
enacted on Jan. 2. The vast majority of taxpayers can file now, but the IRS is
continuing to update its systems for some tax filers. The IRS will begin
accepting tax returns from people claiming education credits in mid-February
while taxpayers claiming depreciation deductions, energy credits and many
business credits will be able to file in late February or early March. A
full
list of the affected forms is available on IRS.gov.
This year, taxpayers have until Monday, April 15, to file their 2012 tax
returns and pay any tax due. The IRS expects to receive more than 147 million
individual tax returns this year, with about 75 percent projected to receive a
refund.
Last year for the first time, 80 percent of all individual returns were
filed electronically. E-file, when combined with direct deposit, is the fastest
way to get a refund. Last year, about three out of four refund filers selected
direct deposit.
Apps and Social Media
For the third year, the IRS will offer IRS2Go, its smartphone application,
which enables taxpayers to check on the status of their tax refund and obtain
helpful tax information. The IRS2Go app, available for Apple and Android users,
has been downloaded more than 800,000 times and used by taxpayers millions of
times.
More helpful information is available through IRS social media platforms,
including:
- YouTube, where viewers can watch more than 100 short,
informative videos. They are available in English,
Spanish,
American
Sign Language and other languages.
- The IRS also has several twitter feeds available for
taxpayers in English and Spanish at @IRSnews
or @IRSenEspanol.
And @IRStaxpros
covers news for tax professionals.
- For the 2013 filing season, the IRS has added Tumblr to
its list of social media platforms. People who want tax information now
have another way of accessing and sharing helpful tax tips, videos,
podcasts and other information at www.internalrevenueservice.tumblr.com
The IRS only uses social media tools to share public information, not to
answer personal tax or account questions. And the IRS reminds taxpayers to
never post confidential information, such as a Social Security Number, on
social media sites.
Check for a Refund
Even with the Jan. 30 opening of the tax season, the IRS expects to issue
refunds within the usual timeframes. Last year, the IRS issued more than nine
out of 10 refunds to taxpayers in less than 21 days, and it expects the same
results in 2013.
After taxpayers file a return, they can track the status of the refund with
the “
Where’s
My Refund?” tool available on the IRS.gov website. New this year, instead
of an estimated date, “Where’s My Refund?” will give people an actual
personalized refund date after the IRS processes the tax return and approves
the refund.
Here are some tips for using "Where's My Refund?":
- Initial information will generally be available within
24 hours after the IRS receives the taxpayer’s e-filed return or four
weeks after mailing a paper return.
- The system updates every 24 hours, usually overnight.
There’s no need to check more than once a day.
- “Where’s My Refund?” provides the most accurate and
complete information that the IRS has about the refund, so there is no
need to call the IRS unless the web tool says to do so.
- To use the “Where’s My Refund?” tool, taxpayers need to
have a copy of their tax return for reference. Taxpayers will need their
Social Security Number, filing status and the exact dollar amount of the
refund they are expecting.
Taxpayers should remember that while most tax refunds are issued within 21
days, some tax returns need additional time to be reviewed. As part of that
effort, the IRS has put in place stronger security filters this filing season
to protect against refund fraud and identity theft.
Identity Theft
Stopping identity theft and refund fraud is a top priority for the IRS, and
the agency’s work on identity theft and refund fraud continues to grow. For the
2013 filing season, the IRS has expanded these efforts to better protect
taxpayers, help victims and detect refund fraud before it occurs.
The effort includes stronger screening filters for incoming tax returns,
increased IRS Criminal Investigation activity and expanded partnerships with
local law-enforcement officials and financial institutions. More information is
available in
IRS
Fact Sheet 2013-2.
By late 2012, the IRS assigned more than 3,000 IRS employees — more than
double the number from 2011 — to work on identity theft-related issues. IRS
employees are working to prevent refund fraud, investigate identity
theft-related crimes and help taxpayers who have been victimized by identity
thieves. In addition, the IRS has trained 35,000 employees who work with
taxpayers to recognize identity theft indicators and help people victimized by
identity theft.
The IRS continues to increase its efforts against refund fraud, which
includes identity theft. During 2012, the IRS protected $20 billion of
fraudulent refunds, including those related to identity theft, compared with
$14 billion in 2011.