Tax season is back, and while some taxpayers may be looking forward to their refunds, others may be dreading the process of gathering their tax documents and meeting the deadlines set by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

The IRS started accepting 2024 tax returns on Jan. 27, and the agency posted the first statistics from tax season 2025 last Friday, Feb. 7. This year's numbers show that the agency has already processed more than 11 million returns and issued more than 3.

The IRS cautions taxpayers not to rely on receiving a refund by a certain date, especially when making major purchases or paying bills.

Although 2024 tax returns aren’t due until April 15, the IRS began accepting them last month. That means the 2025 tax season is officially underway. And like it or not, you’re going to have to tackle the task of preparing a return to submit to the IRS.

Tax season is underway. The IRS has debuted a new online tool to help taxpayers check the status of any refund they may be entitled to.