Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., is pressing Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who also serves as acting commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, not to delay the 2026 tax filing season to Feb. 17.
Former acting IRS Commissioner Billy Long said earlier this year that he anticipated a delay due to changes that needed to be implemented related to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
"Opening the filing season in the middle of February, or later, will delay tens of millions of tax refunds, which will cause further distress to American families at a time when the Administration’s tariffs, opposition to bringing down healthcare costs, and constant chaos have resulted in record-high consumer prices and a failing economy,” Neal told Bessent in a letter.
Next year, Neal told Bessent, Presidents’ Day lands on Feb. 16.
"If the former Commissioner is correct and the filing season starts on this Federal holiday, it would be the latest start to the filing season in recent history," Neal wrote. "By this date in 2024, the IRS issued 20 million tax refunds totaling $67 billion. In 2025, the IRS issued 13 million tax refunds totaling $30 billion. This is much needed money for American families to cover essential expenses, such as putting food on their tables, catching up on bills, and paying for medical costs. Thus, it is imperative for the IRS to follow past years and prioritize opening the 2026 filing season on time."
Filing season typically starts in late January. In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, it began Feb. 12.
Neal pressed Bessent to answer by Wednesday what date the 2026 filing season will open, as well as how staffing and budget cuts affect the number of calls answered from taxpayers and telephone wait times next year. Neal also wants to know if taxpayers can expect to wait longer than 5-7 business days for their tax refunds next year as a result of the cuts.
The IRS said on Oct. 9 that it will furlough just under half of its staff and pause most of the agency’s taxpayer services due to the government shutdown. The plan calls for about 34,000 workers to be furloughed, but allowed the agency’s 74,299 employees to continue working with pay by using leftover funding from the Biden administration, according to Bloomberg.
On Oct. 6, Bessent announced that he had named Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano as CEO of the IRS, a newly created role. Bisignano will report directly to Bessent and manage the organization, overseeing its day-to-day operations while also continuing to lead the Social Security Administration.
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