The federal government might shut down at midnight on Friday, Jan. 19. What will that mean to your taxes? The Internal Revenue Service has opened its Free File online tax preparation and e-filing program. Since the IRS simply acts as the portal to the dozen private tax software manufacturers who actually handle the returns, things there should operate as usual. That means that the taxpayers' returns now being filed through Free File will still be queued up, awaiting processing when the 2018 tax filing season officially starts on Monday, Jan. 29. But what if the federal government is still shut down when that date rolls around? Again, there shouldn't be big problems. If you're simply filing and then awaiting a refund, you probably won't see much of a change. Essential tax work still done: The reason for expected IRS business as usual is that the agency has been through this before, most recently just before the October extended tax filing deadline. During that 16-day federal closure in October 2013, the IRS worked off an official shutdown contingency document, which detailed the tax agency's preparation for and implementation of a shutdown of its services and offices. I suspect someone at 1111 Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C., is dusting off that document right about now. Like all other federal agencies, only essential employees remain on the job when there's a government shutdown. In the IRS' case, that means most of its 80,000 or so workers will be sitting at home. They aren't part of the workforce that, under the Antideficiency Act, must stay on the job because they are "activities necessary for protection of life and property." Since the IRS is responsible for the collection of the revenue the United States needs to operate, some of its jobs fall into this essential category. Five years ago, the IRS shutdown contingency plan designated as essential its employees involved in the processing of tax returns, protection of lien and seizure cases, maintaining building security and facilities personnel and criminal law enforcement operations. So your e-filed tax return should be processed even if most IRS personnel aren't at work. Some services will shut down: So what federal tax operations will go dark if Congress and the White House can't come up with an at-least short-term funding deal? Folks who need help in filling out Form 1040 or associated schedules are going to be out of luck. The much-maligned taxpayer customer service telephone lines likely will go unanswered more than usual. Insert your own joke here about how that's not going to be much of a change. And if you need documents from the IRS, even its automated online taxpayer services could be delayed. Last time we went through a shutdown, the IRS suspended during the shutdown:
So if you think you're going to need some tax help or documentation from the IRS in order to do your taxes in a week or so, you'd better get that assistance ASAP. Like today or by close of business tomorrow. You also might find these items of interest:
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