The IRS says it will start accepting and processing 2017 tax returns on January 29 and expects to issue nine of 10 refunds within 21 days. To get the fastest refund possible, file electronically and request direct deposit of the refund amount. The IRS says it won't start processing paper returns until mid-February, and requesting a mailed paper check adds more time to processing and delivery.
The due date for 2017 returns is April 17, 2018, since April 15th is a Sunday and the 16th is Emancipation Day, a legal holid ay in the District of Columbia.
Time for a tax advisor
Surveys show that many more Americans prepare and file their tax returns themselves using tax preparation software, or "by hand", than use a professional tax advisor.
But this may not be the year to do that. With the new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act revising the entire tax law from the start of this 2018, this year's filing season objective should be not just to prepare and file your 2017 tax return, but also to update your tax planning going forward. The process of preparing your 2017 return presents an opportune time to review your tax situation line-by-line in light of the new law to find new and better tax strategies for the future. Waiting until you prepare your 2018 return next year to discover what you should have done at the beginning of this year may prove costly.
Finding a tax professional