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With major tax legislation to digest and the Internal Revenue Service laboring under serious staffing and budget restraints, it might be reasonable to approach tax season with serious concerns — but experts see some reason for cautious optimism.
Take the fact that it’s kicking off more or less on time, for instance.
“I didn’t expect the tax season to actually kick off on the 26th; if I had had to place a bet, I’d have said maybe later in January or early February,” Annie Schwab, franchise operations manager at Padgett Business Services, told attendees of a recent Accounting Today webinar on tax season. “That is a good sign, I believe.”
“I’m quite shocked that [the IRS has] gotten as much guidance out as they have. … I’m surprised that they’ve done so well,” added Jennifer MacMillan, president of the National Association of Enrolled Agents. “So far nothing has fallen apart … I’m cautiously optimistic about how the IRS will perform throughout tax season.”
Tom O’Saben, director of tax content and government relations at the National Association of Tax Professionals, was careful to manage expectations: “I’m not expecting a lot out of the IRS this year, and being very pleased with them exceeding expectations.”
All three pointed to potential pitfalls for this tax season — from the remaining guidance on provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that hasn’t been released yet, to the retirement of large numbers of veteran IRS staff members — and they shared a host of ways to overcome those pitfalls, and generally make your tax season smoother (see a selection of the best below).
Nonetheless, their consensus was that this year’s season is no reason to panic.
“Know that everything is going to be OK!” MacMillan urged. “We have had really crazy tax seasons in the past — anybody remember 2020 and 2021? — we’ll make it through; it’ll be fine, and you’ll be fine.”
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