So it’s officially tax season and the government is still in a partial shutdown. You may be wondering how does this impact taxpayers. Will we still receive timely refunds? There is some good and some bad news:
The Bad News: The IRS is among the government agencies affected by the government shutdown.
The Good News: The IRS has a contingency plan in place which addresses which services the agency will and will not offer during the shutdown.
During the shutdown, the IRS is still offering the following services:
- Processing electronic and paper filed returns
- Processing disaster relief transcripts
- Design and printing of tax forms
- Accepting payments
- Issuing refunds
During the shutdown, the IRS will not be offering the following services:
- Answering phone calls
- Processing 1040X amended returns
- Conducting audits or examinations of returns
The IRS has announced they will begin accepting returns on January 28th. This means that at that time, you’ll be able to file your 2018 tax return and will be issued a refund or make a payment if you owe tax. However, if you have questions regarding your return, tax situation, refund, or payments, you won’t be able to speak with anyone at the IRS.
Candace is the founder of NewWay Accounting and is a CPA who specializes in working with fellow entrepreneurs. She strives to take the fear and anxiety out of taxes and help empower small business owners to feel more confident and in control of their finances. Because even if money isn’t your jam, you deserve to be successful too!
