Of course, you don’t have to file your return that early. The official due date for returns this year will be Tuesday, April 18, the agency announced. That’s because April 15 — the traditional due date — falls on a Saturday; and Monday, April 17 is Emancipation Day — an official holiday in the District of Columbia, where the IRS is headquartered.
For anyone expecting a refund due to the Earned Income Tax Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit, the IRS is prohibited by law from issuing it before mid-February, in order to give the agency time to stop fraudulent refunds from going out. This year, the IRS said EITC refunds will be available “for many” in their bank accounts or on their debit cards by February 28.