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By Aliss Higham
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Another year, another tax filing season. The Internal Revenue Service is now accepting tax returns for 2025.
Tax season opened on January 26 and remains open until April 15. The IRS expects about 164 million individual tax returns for tax year 2025 to be filed.
Changes for the 2025 Tax Season
The 2026 tax season is the first filing period to reflect changes enacted under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law in July. The legislation has introduced several notable updates for taxpayers.
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Among them is a new federal deduction for seniors: Americans aged 65 and older who owe taxes on their Social Security income can now claim a $6,000 deduction through the 2028 tax year, with married couples eligible to deduct up to $12,000 if both spouses qualify.
The law also provides temporary tax relief for certain types of income, allowing eligible workers to deduct qualified overtime pay up to $12,500 per return, or $25,000 for joint filers, with the benefit gradually phasing out at higher income levels. Federal income taxes on tips is also affected, with tipped workers now able to deduct up to $25,000 annually.
Taxpayers claiming the new deductions for seniors, tips or overtime pay will file using the newly created Schedule 1-A when submitting their 2025 returns.
The legislation further raises the cap on the state and local tax (SALT) deduction on a temporary basis, allowing some higher-income taxpayers in high-tax states to deduct a larger share of those taxes on their federal returns.
Separately, the IRS has updated the standard deduction amounts for 2026, setting them at $15,750 for single filers, $31,500 for married couples filing jointly and $23,625 for heads of household.
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Filing Options
Submitting your return online and opting for direct deposit is still the quickest way to get your money back.
The IRS Free File program gives qualifying taxpayers access to tax software at no charge. For those who prefer to handle their own returns, Free File Fillable Forms are available to anyone, no matter their income. There is no Direct File program on offer this year, as it was scrapped by the Trump administration in 2025.
Eligible filers can also receive free assistance through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling for the Elderly programs.
Refunds
Under an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in March, the IRS began gradually ending paper refund checks on September 3, so most filers must provide bank routing and account numbers for electronic payment.
Refunds can be monitored through the Where's My Refund? tool, the IRS2Go mobile app or an IRS Individual Online Account.
Although most refunds go out in under three weeks—21 days—some returns are flagged for extra review and may take a little longer to process.
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