Javascript is not enabled.

Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again.

Skip to content
Content starts here
CLOSE ×
Search
Leaving AARP.org Website

You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply.

IRS Tax Deadlines You Need to Know for 2023

Knowing key dates can help you avoid penalties and get your refund faster

spinner image Orange and green binder clips with smiley faces sit on top of IRS tax forms including a 1040 and W-9.
iStock / Getty Images

As we start 2023, we can mark significant dates on our calendars: birthdays, anniversaries and, of course, the deadlines the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) sets for filing and paying federal income taxes.

Bear in mind that we are filing taxes for income earned in 2022, even though we file those forms in 2023. To keep confusion to a minimum, tax experts refer to 2022 as the tax year and 2023 as the filing year. Most, but not all, of the deadlines in 2023 refer to tax year 2022.

spinner image Image Alt Attribute

AARP Membership

Join AARP for $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP The Magazine

Join Now

When is Tax Day? It’s complicated

The deadline for filing 2022 federal income tax returns for most taxpayers is April 18. Taxpayers haven’t had to file on the traditional date, April 15, since the 2019 filing season.

2023 IRS Key Tax Dates

Jan. 13: IRS Free File service opens to prepare tax year 2022 returns

Jan. 17: Final estimated tax payment for 2022 due

Jan. 17: Free MilTax service for military opens to prepare 2022 returns

Jan. 23: IRS begins processing 2022 tax returns

April 18: First estimated tax payment for tax year 2023 due

April 18: Filing deadline for tax year 2022

June 15: Second estimated tax payment for 2023 due

Sept. 15: Third estimated tax payment for 2023 due

Oct. 16: Extended deadline to file 2022 tax return

Jan. 16, 2024: Fourth estimated tax payment for 2023 due

In 2020 and 2021, the April 15 deadline got pushed back by the COVID-19 pandemic. And in some non-pandemic years, the deadline sometimes gets pushed back to the next business day because April 15 falls on a weekend.

The filing deadline this year is Tuesday, April 18, because April 15 is a Saturday and the filing date never occurs on a weekend. Washington, D.C., observes Emancipation Day on Monday, April 17. By law, the IRS is required to treat D.C. holidays as if they were national holidays for tax-filing purposes. Emancipation Day commemorates the day in 1862 when President Abraham Lincoln signed into law a measure to free enslaved people in D.C. (Adding to the complexity, the actual date of Emancipation Day is April 16, but since it falls on a Sunday this year the holiday is celebrated one day later.)

Some taxpayers affected by recent natural disasters get extra time to file. For example, California storm victims have until May 15, 2023 to file their income taxes.

Filing late?

Don’t blow the deadline. The penalty for late filing is 5 percent of the amount due each month, and the penalty for failure to pay is 0.5 percent a month, and maxes out at 25 percent a year. (When both penalties are levied in the same month, the total penalty is 5 percent a month: 4.5 percent for failure to file and 0.5 percent for failure to pay.) Interest also accrues, at a current rate of 3 percent.

If you must file late, you can get an automatic extension by filing IRS Form 4868. The automatic extension typically gives you until Oct. 15 to file your return, but since Oct. 15 falls on a Sunday this year, the extended deadline is actually Oct. 16. However, an extension to file doesn’t grant an extension to pay. You must still pay any taxes owed by April 18 or face penalties for late payment. If you’re owed a refund and file late, the IRS won’t levy a penalty, but you won’t get your refund until you file. If you don’t claim a refund within three years, you’ll lose the money.

Flowers & Gifts

Coupons for Local Stores

Save on clothing, gifts, beauty and other everyday shopping needs

See more Flowers & Gifts offers >

When does tax season start?

The IRS takes a few weeks to get ready to process the millions of returns it receives during tax season. Last year, taxpayers sent more than 168 million individual returns to the IRS. However, IRS and Treasury officials say some returns have yet to be processed due to delays stemming from the pandemic.

The IRS will begin accepting and processing new returns on Jan. 23. The IRS says most taxpayers will get their refunds within 21 days of when they file electronically, barring any issues with processing their tax returns. Electronic filing, when linked with direct deposit, is the fastest way to get a refund. Last year’s average tax refund was more than $3,200.

Paying estimated taxes

The self-employed must pay estimated taxes every quarter. The last payment for the 2022 tax year is due on Jan. 17. The first payment for the 2023 tax year is due April 18, with other payments due June 15, Sept. 15 and Jan. 16, 2024.

Discover AARP Members Only Access

Join AARP to Continue

Already a Member?