The 2025 tax filing season will begin Monday, Jan. 27, the Internal Revenue Service announced earlier this month. The agency said in a statement it expects more than 140 million individual tax returns to be filed by the Tuesday, April 15, deadline. While most filers are required to submit their forms by that deadline to avoid incurring penalties and interest, relief provisions are in place for those affected by recent natural disasters. The agency also announced a series of expanded and new programs designed to aid the tax filing process as a part of a modernization effort initiated by the 2022 passing of the Inflation Reduction Act. The changes, the agency said, are meant to better the tax-paying experience through improved customer service options and expanded free resources. Part of that expansion includes the Direct File program to taxpayers in 25 states, up from 12 in its pilot year last filing season. Similar to third-party digital filing tools, Direct File allows filers to automatically import data from their IRS account into the corresponding tax forms for free. With Direct File, however, taxpayers can file their taxes directly with the IRS. Direct File is set to be available this month in Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington State, Wisconsin and Wyoming. news Jan 9 IRS: Missing final 2024 quarterly estimated tax payment could trigger ‘unexpected penalties' news Jan 8 New Social Security benefit increases for nearly 3 million Americans may trigger higher tax bill, Medicare premium costs Student Loans Jan 7 As student loan bills become a normal part of life again, tax break will be available to many New this year, filers using Direct File will also be able to use a chat bot to guide them through the program’s eligibility checker. The program will also support more taxpayer claims, such as child and dependent care credit, premium tax credit and credit for the elderly and disabled. A live chat option will also be available in English and Spanish. Additionally, the IRS announced updates to its Free File program, which offers tax preparation software to eligible taxpayers for free. Though the tax season won’t officially open until the end of January, taxpayers can start using Free File to plan ahead. Others may be eligible for free tax help through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, Tax Counseling for the Elderly or Militax. The agency also said it has expanded customer service efforts with the goal of reducing wait times, expanding operating hours for customer service centers and implementing a variety of online account tools. Most refunds are expected to be available within 21 days of filing, the IRS said. Those interested in checking the status of their tax return should visit the Where’s My Refund? page on the agency’s website within 24 hours of e-filing. Typically, refund information is available up to four weeks after filing for those submitting a paper return. For more information about the 2025 tax filing season, visit irs.gov.