Tax Season Uncertainty

Recent tax reform legislation has introduced uncertainty to the beginning of the 2018 tax season. The IRS has yet to declare an opening date for e-filing and approvals for key tax forms are being withheld pending finalization of new regulations. These delays are affecting the entire tax software industry and will require governmental action after the New Year’s holiday to permit any technology providers to progress further toward seasonal readiness.

The Refunds Today team wants you to know that we are continuously monitoring the situation and communicating directly with the IRS to ensure that we are prepared for the start of the filing season. Our teams are ready to handle any necessary changes and support our valued customers to ensure their success this season.

Owing to delays in final passage of the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” and pending extenders legislation, we are adjusting estimated availability dates for some forms and e-file types.  The next Refunds Today software updates are scheduled for early January and will enable e-file capabilities. However, IRS approval of new forms will still be required and the Refunds Today forms library will be updated as quickly as possible once we receive those approvals.

We share your concern about these developments and are taking steps to be as responsive as possible to this evolving situation

EFC will stop accepting Business returns Friday, December 22nd

IRS Business Modernized E-File, the system that processes electronically-filed business returns, will shut down on Tuesday, December 26th. At that time, the agency will perform annual maintenance and reprogram the system for the upcoming 2018 tax filing season.

The Wolters Kluwer TAA Electronic Filing Center (EFC) will stop accepting Business E-files Friday December 22^nd at 6:00pm Eastern.

The EFC will continue to retrieve acknowledgements from IRS until Tuesday, December 26^th at midnight Eastern.

The EFC will continue to deliver acknowledgements to customers until Wednesday December 27^th at midnight Eastern.

IRS 1040 Cutover Dates

IRS Modernized E-File, the system that processes electronically-filed individual returns, will shut down on November 18th. At that time, the agency will perform annual maintenance and reprogram the system for the upcoming 2018 tax filing season. As a result, any taxpayer needing to file a return after November 18th and before the system is restored must do so on paper. After the shutdown occurs, Tax Year 2014 returns will no longer be accepted for e-filing.

The Wolters Kluwer TAA Electronic Filing Center (EFC) will stop accepting 1040 transmissions at the close of business on Friday, November 17, 2017. Doing so should allow adequate time for the states to retrieve their transmissions from IRS, process them and return acknowledgements to the EFC. Customers will be able to retrieve their 1040 and state acknowledgements from the EFC thru the mid-December timeframe when the Business cutover will take place.

IRS has not yet announced their system cutover schedule for Business returns. In addition, IRS has also not announced the opening of return filing for Tax Year 2017 at this time.

For Tax Year 2016, E-File Closes on Nov. 18; After That, Disaster Victims, Others Need to File on Paper

WASHINGTON —The Internal Revenue Service today reminded people, including those in disaster areas, who want to file a 2016 tax return electronically to do so by Saturday, Nov. 18, 2017. Filing of paper tax returns will remain available after that date.

IRS Modernized e-file, the system that processes electronically-filed individual returns, will shut down after Nov. 18 so the agency can perform annual maintenance and to enable the IRS to reprogram the system for the upcoming 2018 tax-filing season.

As a result, any taxpayer needing to file after Nov. 18 will need to do so on paper.

While most individuals have already filed their 2016 federal tax returns, certain taxpayers may qualify for an extension until Jan. 31, 2018. This includes taxpayers who live in a federally declared disaster area, have a U.S. tax filing obligation, and had previously obtained a valid 6-month extension of time to file their federal tax return. The federally declared disaster areas include hurricane and tropical storm victims in Georgia, Florida, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and parts of Texas, Louisiana and South Carolina, as well as wildfire victims in parts of California.

See the IRS disaster relief page and e-file page for more information.