Benjamin Franklin famously said that "death and taxes" are the only two certainties in this world.
Well, the timing of the first certainty is unclear. But you can reliably count on tax season to roll around at the same time every year, and for taxpayers in the United States, it's about to get underway.
Some Americans may be ahead of the game, having filed their returns already with the Internal Revenue Service, while many others may be looking to procrastinate it as long as possible.
But it's important to keep track of the filing deadline, including for when to request an extension. And of course, everyone wants to know when they can expect the modest windfall that could come from a refund.
Here are key dates to know for the 2025 tax filing season.
Tax filing season: Is it better to pay someone to do your taxes or do them yourself?
When does the 2025 tax season start?
Tax season officially starts Monday, Jan. 27.
But that does not mean you can’t get started on your tax filing now.
While Monday is the first day the IRS will begin accepting tax returns for the 2024 tax year, Americans can file their taxes even earlier to ensure their return is in the queue and among the first to be processed by the IRS.
When is the 2025 tax deadline?
This year's deadline will fall on the traditional date of April 15.
Tax Day always falls on that date, unless April 15 is a weekend or holiday. This year, it comes on a Tuesday.
What is the deadline to file an extension?
The deadline to file for an extension is April 15, according to the IRS. That gives taxpayers until Oct. 15 to file without penalties.
For people affected by natural disasters, the extension is automatically given.
Extension requests can be done through the IRS at no charge – both electronically and with a paper form 4868 – and require taxpayers to simply provide basic information like their names, home addresses, Social Security numbers and payment, if they owe anything. But because the extension only applies to filing a tax return, taxpayers must still pay any taxes owed by the April 15 deadline.
What happens if I miss the tax deadline?
For people who forget or miss the deadline altogether, the standard penalty is 5% of the tax due for every month the return is late, up to 25% of the unpaid balance.
A smaller penalty of 0.5% is added if you file a return but fail to pay any taxes you owe, or if you get an extension on your return but fail to pay your owed taxes.
How fast are refunds issued?
You can expect your tax refund in a month or less, in most cases.
The IRS says it issues most refunds within 21 calendar days. Paper returns, however, can take four weeks or more.