After announcing the start of business electronic filing on a Friday, the IRS came back from the weekend on Monday to give taxpayers the date when individual returns will be accepted.[1] However, while the announcements may have come only three days apart, the actual starting dates are much further apart.

While business returns will be accepted by the IRS on January 7,[2] the agency will not begin accepting individual returns until January 27, 2020.[3]

The news release explains the reason for holding off the start until nearly the end of January as follows:

The IRS set the January 27 opening date to ensure the security and readiness of key tax processing systems and to address the potential impact of recent tax legislation on 2019 tax returns.

While taxpayers may prepare returns through the IRS' Free File program as well as many tax software companies and tax professionals before the start date, processing of those returns will begin after IRS systems open later this month.[4]

[1] “IRS opens 2019 tax filing season for individual filers on Jan. 27,” IRS News Release IR-2020-02, January 6, 2020, https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-opens-2019-tax-filing-season-for-individual-filers-on-jan-27 (retrieved January 6, 2020)

[2] Ed Zollars, “IRS Announces Business E-Filing Start Date, Individual Return Remains to Be Announced,” Current Federal Tax Developments website, January 3, 2020, https://www.currentfederaltaxdevelopments.com/blog/2020/1/3/irs-announces-business-e-filing-start-date-individual-return-remains-to-be-announced (retrieved January 6, 2020)

[3] IRS News Release IR-2020-02

[4] IRS News Release IR-2020-02