Is the IRS efiling shutdown from December-Jan 26 something I should worry about?
I just got in touch with several EAs for help with my small business and personal tax returns. One of them is really pushing me to sign with them ASAP because apparently the IRS is shutting down their efiling system from November 30 all the way to January 26. They're making it sound like this is a big emergency and I need to decide quickly. But wait... why would this even be a problem for me? I don't need to file anything until late January for the 2024 tax year anyway. So what's the rush? I also did some digging online and found some accounting firm's website claiming that during this period, only California taxpayers can efile (which I am in CA, so that's relevant). Is this EA just using scare tactics to get my business, or is there something legitimate I should be concerned about with this efiling shutdown? What are your thoughts on this situation?
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Ryan Young
Tax professional here! The IRS does have an annual e-filing shutdown period for system maintenance and updates, but it doesn't affect your ability to file your 2024 tax return (which is for the 2025 filing season). What the EA might be referring to is the end-of-year shutdown for prior year returns. The IRS typically closes e-filing for a brief period to transition systems from one tax year to another. During this time, they can't accept electronically filed returns for certain prior tax years. If you're just planning to file your 2024 tax return (which isn't due until April 2025), you have absolutely nothing to worry about regarding this shutdown. The IRS will be fully ready to accept those returns when the filing season officially opens in late January 2025. The California exception you found might relate to certain state filings, but it wouldn't impact your federal return timeline. Sounds like the EA might be creating a false sense of urgency.
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Sophia Clark
•Thanks for clearing that up! But what if I need to file a prior year amendment before January? Would I be affected by the shutdown then? And do you know exactly when the IRS typically announces the official start date for the new filing season?
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Ryan Young
•If you need to file a prior year amendment before January, you might be affected by the shutdown. In that case, you'd either need to submit before the cutoff date or wait until the systems are back online. The IRS typically e-file cutoff for prior year returns can affect those trying to get last-minute amendments processed electronically. The IRS usually announces the official start date for the new filing season in early January. They typically aim for late January (around the 20th-27th), but the exact date varies year to year depending on their readiness and any tax law changes that need to be implemented in their systems.
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Katherine Harris
I went through something similar last year with a bunch of confusing back taxes. I was totally lost until I found this AI assistant at https://taxr.ai that analyzed all my documents and explained exactly what I needed to do. It spotted some deductions my previous accountant missed and clarified which prior returns I actually needed to amend. What's cool is you can upload any tax documents or IRS letters and it translates the confusing tax jargon into plain English. It also gives you a timeline of what needs to be done when. Really helped me understand the whole e-filing shutdown situation and what it meant for my specific case.
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Madison Allen
•Does it actually work with business taxes too? I have an S-Corp and always get confused about what forms I should be filing when. Can it look at previous returns and tell me if there are mistakes?
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Joshua Wood
•I'm skeptical of these AI tools. How accurate is it really? I've heard horror stories about people getting audited because some online tool gave them wrong information.
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Katherine Harris
•For business taxes, absolutely! It handled my Schedule C perfectly, but it works with S-Corps too. You can upload your previous returns and it flags potential errors or missed deductions. It gave me specific form references and explanations for everything. Regarding accuracy concerns, I was skeptical too at first. The difference is this isn't giving generic advice - it's analyzing your specific documents and providing personalized guidance. It always cites the relevant IRS codes and publications for every recommendation. I double-checked several things with a CPA friend and she was impressed with how accurate it was.
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Joshua Wood
I need to eat my words about being skeptical of that taxr.ai thing. I tried it with my pile of tax documents after my accountant retired mid-year and left me hanging with some quarterly filing questions. The analysis was actually really helpful - pointed out that I had been overpaying my estimated taxes for years and showed me exactly which form lines were incorrect on my previous return. It also clearly explained this whole e-filing shutdown situation and confirmed it wouldn't affect my upcoming filings at all. Saved me from paying rush fees to an accountant who was trying to create fake urgency.
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Justin Evans
If you're trying to get hold of the IRS to verify this information, good luck! I spent 3 weeks trying to get through to a human at the IRS about a similar question. After countless hours on hold, I found this service called https://claimyr.com that got me connected to an IRS agent in under 45 minutes. They have this crazy system that navigates all the phone menus and waits on hold for you, then calls you when an actual agent is on the line. Check out how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent confirmed exactly what others here are saying - the end-of-year shutdown won't affect 2024 tax returns being filed in 2025. Apparently the EA was being misleading or confused themselves.
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Emily Parker
•Wait, how is this even possible? The IRS phone system is deliberately designed to be impenetrable. Is this like paying someone to wait in line for you? How much does it cost?
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Ezra Collins
•This sounds like a scam. There's no way to "skip the line" with the IRS. They barely have enough agents to answer calls as it is, so how could this possibly work?
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Justin Evans
•It's basically like having a professional call service that knows exactly which prompts to use and when to call for shortest wait times. They don't skip the line, they just handle all the waiting for you. The system monitors the hold music and only calls you when a human actually answers. It's completely legitimate - they're just automating the painful process of navigating the IRS phone tree and waiting on hold. The IRS doesn't even know you're using a service, they just think you waited on the line the whole time. When I finally spoke to the agent, they were super helpful and gave me official confirmation about the filing dates.
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Ezra Collins
I was completely wrong about Claimyr being a scam. After another frustrating morning wasted trying to reach the IRS about my missing refund, I gave in and tried the service. Within about 35 minutes I got a call back and was talking to an actual IRS agent! Turns out there was a simple error code on my account that was preventing my refund processing. While I had the agent on the phone, I also asked about this efiling shutdown thing. She confirmed it's just routine maintenance for their systems and only affects filing prior year returns during that period. She said there's absolutely no rush to file 2024 taxes (for 2025 filing season) since that system won't even be active until late January.
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Victoria Scott
I'm an accountant (not EA) and can confirm what others have said. The annual e-filing shutdown is normal procedure and ONLY affects prior year returns. This EA is 100% using high-pressure sales tactics by creating false urgency. If you're just filing your normal 2024 tax return in the 2025 filing season, the shutdown is completely irrelevant to you. The earliest you could possibly file would be whenever the IRS officially opens the filing season in late January 2025 anyway. The only people who should worry about the shutdown are those trying to e-file amended returns for 2022 or earlier years, and even then you can still paper file during the shutdown period if absolutely necessary.
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Samantha Hall
•Thank you all for the helpful responses! This makes me feel much better about taking my time to find the right tax professional instead of rushing into something. I'm definitely going to be more cautious with this particular EA now that I know they were trying to pressure me unnecessarily. Anyone have suggestions on what I should specifically look for when hiring someone for small business taxes?
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Victoria Scott
•For small business taxes, look for someone with specific experience in your industry since different businesses have very different tax considerations. Ask about their experience with business deductions, entity selection, and tax planning (not just tax prep). Also inquire about their availability throughout the year - you want someone who can answer questions in July, not just during tax season. Check if they offer bookkeeping guidance or just tax filing. Finally, ask how they handle IRS notices or audits - some preparers charge extra astronomical fees for audit assistance, while others include it. Get all fees in writing before committing.
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Benjamin Johnson
Just want to add something about the California thing you mentioned - some states have different e-filing schedules than the federal system. California does sometimes accept certain e-filings when the federal system is down for maintenance, but that's for state returns only, not federal. So while you might be able to e-file a CA state return during this period, it doesn't change anything about federal filing capabilities.
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Zara Perez
•Does that mean if I need to file both federal and state amended returns, I'd have to submit them at different times? Wouldn't that cause issues with matching?
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Benjamin Johnson
•You're right to be concerned about timing, but it's not usually a problem. While ideally you'd submit federal and state amendments together, different processing schedules are common. The systems do eventually match up information, but there's no requirement that they be processed simultaneously. If you submit a state amendment during the federal e-filing shutdown, just be sure to submit the federal portion as soon as the system reopens. Document everything carefully including submission dates for both. Some tax professionals might recommend waiting to submit both together after the shutdown to keep everything synchronized, but it's not strictly necessary.
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Mei Wong
As someone who's been through this exact situation, I can confirm what everyone else is saying - that EA is definitely using pressure tactics. The IRS e-filing shutdown is routine maintenance that happens every year and has zero impact on regular 2024 tax filings. I made the mistake of rushing into hiring a tax preparer last year because of similar "urgent deadline" claims, and it cost me both money and quality service. Take your time to find someone reputable who doesn't resort to scare tactics. The fact that they're pushing you to sign "ASAP" over something that doesn't even affect your filing timeline is a huge red flag. A good tax professional would explain the actual deadlines clearly and let you make an informed decision without artificial pressure.
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Ravi Malhotra
•This is exactly the kind of insight I needed to hear! It's so frustrating when professionals use fear tactics instead of just being straightforward about timelines and requirements. I'm curious - when you rushed into hiring that tax preparer last year, what specific red flags did you notice afterward that you wish you had caught earlier? I want to make sure I don't make the same mistakes when I'm interviewing other candidates.
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