Jan. 26 marks the official start date of the 2026 tax filing season, when the IRS will begin accepting and processing 2025 tax returns. “President Trump is committed to the taxpayers of this country and improving upon the successful tax filing season in 2025,” said acting IRS Commissioner Scott Bessent in a news release. Bessent has said on several occasions that the effects of Republican tax law will result in bigger tax refunds in 2026. IRS employees involved in last year's tax season were not allowed to accept a buyout offer from the Trump administration until after the taxpayer filing deadline of April 15, 2025. The June National Taxpayer Advocate report to Congress warned that the 2026 season could be rocky.

Source: Ethiopian News January 19, 2026 19:55 UTC