Reaching a record breaking 35 days, the recent government shutdown began on December 22, 2018 and ended on January 25, 2019, which makes it the longest government shutdown in the history of the United States. With news of IRS employees not showing up for work amid salary freezes, the questions are mounting in the minds of taxpayers. As the IRS re-boots operationally, what will be the impact come filing time?
Here are some answers to the most commonly asked questions:
Q: When are tax payments due?
The government shutdown didn't affect payment due dates. Take a look at this IRS Tax Calendars document for more information.
Q: Did the partial government shutdown affect E-file?
The free IRS E-file options are still available as of Monday, Jan. 28, and will still be automatically processed up to the point of paying a refund.
Q: What about my refund?
All refunds will be processed by the IRS. However, the shutdown could affect how long it takes for your refund to get to you.
Q: Is everything back to normal with the IRS?
During the shutdown, a large percentage of IRS employees were sent home without pay at some point. That means forms didn't get processed, questions didn't get answered and it's possible that some people found other jobs. It also means that not all IRS operations were functional during the shutdown. It could take some time for the IRS to fire up all its operations again, and then even longer for the employees to catch back up.
Q: What if there's another shutdown in February?
While it is hard to say for sure what will happen to the IRS and your tax filings if there's another shutdown in February, it is likely that many of the answers to questions listed above would stay the same.
Q: How do I find help?
Working with a professional is one surefire way to make sure you file on time and get your refund as quickly as possible.
Contact a Professional
Fair, Anderson & Langerman (FAL) is a tax prep & planning, accounting, and business advisory firm located in Las Vegas. FAL helps business owners and entrepreneurs navigate and structure their financial and business worlds while ensuring adherence to Federal and State reporting and filing requirements. Think FAL may be the right partner for your business? Contact us at 702-870-7999.