The IRS officially began accepting tax returns on Monday, January 23. For most of the country, the deadline is Tuesday, April 18, but residents of certain disaster areas have until May 15 to file their taxes. These include places in California struck by flooding and mudslides, as well as in Alabama and Georgia that were hit by severe storms and tornadoes in January. The exact counties affected are shown on the map below. Unaffected parts of the country has three extra days to file because the usual April 15 deadline falls on a Saturday, and Monday is Emancipation Day in Washington, D.C. The agency said funding from the Inflation Reduction Act has allowed it to hire thousands of extra employees to help with customer service this year in hopes of making this tax season go smoother. For the past two years, taxpayers have faced processing delays and have found it nearly impossible to get help calling the agency by phone. Have a question, comment, or story to share? You can reach Diccon at dhyatt@thebalance.com.
