
The 2026 tax season opened January 26 — what to know before you file
The IRS began accepting 2025-year returns on Monday, January 26, 2026, kicking off a filing season shaped by new deduction amounts and tighter refund timelines.

Naomi Bergman covers the systems that move money, and the small design decisions inside them that quietly decide who gets served. She explains payment rails and credit scoring, covers federal rulemaking and the national record, and reads markets from release to close.