With Tax Day approaching in just five days, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) emphasizes that it’s not too late for Americans to set up an individual IRS Online account. This valuable tool allows taxpayers to conveniently monitor their return data, check the status of their refunds, and make or view payments.
Importance of the Deadline
April 15, 2025, marks the deadline for submitting individual income tax returns for the fiscal year 2024 to the federal government. The IRS has projected over 140 million individual tax returns to be filed by this date; however, recent data from CNN indicates that the agency has received nearly 1 million fewer returns compared to the same period last year.
This decline could be attributed to increasing uncertainty surrounding the IRS and its operations, as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, has mandated significant staffing and budget cuts for this year.
Essential Information
By late March, the IRS had processed only 69.6 million federal income tax returns, a decrease of 1.4% from the 70.5 million processed at the same time last year. Moreover, it had received 88.5 million returns—a 0.3% drop from the 90.3 million received by the end of March 2024.
As Tax Day approaches, taxpayers who have yet to file their returns or who owe payments to the federal government may feel pressured as the deadline nears.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the IRS urged taxpayers in this situation to either create or access their IRS Online accounts, which facilitate the ability to:
- View important details from their latest tax return, such as adjusted gross income;
- Request and access an Identity Protection PIN throughout the year;
- Check the status of their refunds;
- Obtain account transcripts, including wage and income records;
- Sign various tax forms, including power of attorney and tax information authorizations;
- Adjust language preferences and request alternative media;
- Receive and check over 200 IRS electronic notices;
- View, make, and cancel payments;
- Set up or modify payment plans and check their balances.
Taxpayers with an IRS Online account can also download the following tax documents:
- Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement;
- Form 1095-A, Health Insurance Marketplace Statement;
- Form 1099-NEC, Nonemployee Compensation.
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This account can also help taxpayers track information reported by employers, financial institutions, government entities, and other payers to both recipients and the IRS, including:
- Form 1099-DIV, Dividends and Distributions;
- Form 1099-SA, Distributions From an HSA, Archer MSA or Medicare Advantage MSA;
- Form W-2G, Certain Gambling Winnings;
- Form 1099-INT, Interest Income;
- Form 1099-MISC, Miscellaneous Income;
- Form 1099-R, Distributions from Pensions, Annuities, Retirement or Profit-Sharing Plans, IRAs, Insurance Contracts, etc.
What Comes Next
While the majority of taxpayers are expected to file their returns by April 15, individuals who have applied for and been granted an extension will have until October 15 to submit their tax returns. However, they must still pay any outstanding taxes by April 15.
