When Can I File My 2012 Tax Return?

If you are normally filing your taxes before the end of January — at the earliest possible date — and expecting a quick return, this year is going to be different. You'll have to wait. The Internal Revenue Service has revised its opening date for tax season — pushing it back eight days to January 30, 2013.

The tax-filing deadline is Monday, April 15, 2013.

The IRS will begin accepting tax returns on Jan. 30, 2013. Most taxpayers should be able to file on that date, though some revised forms may not be immediately available.

The delay is due to the federal "fiscal cliff" crisis and the new tax bill Congress passed just after Dec. 31. You can find more information in this Forbes article.

Electronic filing was originally set to start on Jan. 22 this year.

As a result of the delay, nobody will get a refund in January, an H&R Block official told Financial Advisor.

The IRS will not process paper tax returns before the anticipated Jan. 30 opening date. There is no advantage to filing on paper before the opening date, and taxpayers will receive their tax refunds much faster by using e-file with direct deposit, writes Patch IRS Blogger David Stewart.

There are several forms affected by the late legislation that require more extensive programming and testing of IRS systems. The IRS hopes to begin accepting tax returns including these tax forms between late February and into March; a specific date will be announced in the near future.

The key forms that require more extensive programming changes include Form 5695 (Residential Energy Credits), Form 4562 (Depreciation and Amortization) and Form 3800 (General Business Credit). A full listing of the forms that won’t be accepted until later is available on IRS.gov.

Do you like to do your taxes in person? Here are some places you can go to get your taxes done in the area. If we missed a good local option, please add it in the comments:

H&R Block Income Tax Preparation Services

Office Resource Solutions

Jackson Hewitt Tax Service

Olinger & Associates

H&R Block Income Tax Preparation Services

Roller & Associates CPA

A version of this story first appeared on Algonquin Patch. Deb Belt contributed to this report.

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