Politics & Government

When Can I File My 2012 Tax Return?

Information on 2013 filing, complete with local accountant contacts.

Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013, marks the first day you can file your annual tax return.

This tax season the Internal Revenue Service had revised its opening date for tax season—pushing it back eight days from previous years. 

The tax filing deadline this year is Monday, April 15, 2013.

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But while most taxpayers should be able to file Wednesday some revised forms may not be immediately available.

Blame the delay on the federal "fiscal cliff" crisis and the new tax bill Congress passed just after Dec. 31, according to this Forbes article.

Find out what's happening in Mountain Viewwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Electronic filing season 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 at Miramonte Avenue
  • Expert Tax Service
  • Barbosa Income Tax
  • Tania Tax Service
  • H&R Block at El Camino Real
  • Carmen's Legal Resource Center
  • Marc W. Lund C.P.A.
  • Honda Tsukiji and Associates

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