Returns for 2026 income are due Thursday, April 15, 2027. The IRS has not yet announced the day it will start accepting returns; last year it was Jan. 26. Below are the deadlines, the brackets and standard deductions that apply to the return you will file, and how long refunds take.
Last updated Nov. 6, 2026. Figures are from IRS notices; the filing-season opening date will be added when the IRS publishes it.
At a glance
- Filing season opens: late January 2027, date not yet set. The 2026 season opened Jan. 26, 2026, with IRS Free File accepting returns from Jan. 9.
- Deadline: April 15, 2027, for returns and payment. An extension moves the return to Oct. 15, 2027, but not the payment.
- Refund timing: about three weeks for an e-filed return and six weeks or more for a mailed one, per the IRS. Refunds on returns claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit are held by law until mid-February.
- 2027 brackets (for 2027 income, filed in 2028): announced Nov. 5, 2026 (IR-2026-133). The standard deduction rises to $16,600 for single filers, $33,200 for married couples filing jointly and $24,925 for heads of household; the full bracket table is below.
Key dates for the 2027 filing season
| Date | What is due |
|---|---|
| Jan. 15, 2027 | Fourth-quarter 2026 estimated tax payment |
| Late January 2027 | IRS begins accepting 2026 returns (date to be announced) |
| Feb. 1, 2027 | Employers’ deadline for W-2s and most 1099s (Jan. 31 falls on a Sunday) |
| Mid-February 2027 | Earliest release of refunds that include the Earned Income Tax Credit |
| April 15, 2027 | 2026 returns and payment due; first-quarter 2027 estimated tax; last day for 2026 IRA contributions |
| June 15, 2027 | Second-quarter 2027 estimated tax |
| Sept. 15, 2027 | Third-quarter 2027 estimated tax |
| Oct. 15, 2027 | Extended 2026 returns due |
| Jan. 18, 2028 | Fourth-quarter 2027 estimated tax (Jan. 15 is a Saturday and Jan. 17 is a federal holiday) |
2026 standard deduction and tax brackets (the return you file in 2027)
Standard deduction for tax year 2026: $16,100 for single filers and married people filing separately, $32,200 for married couples filing jointly, and $24,150 for heads of household. The brackets apply to taxable income, which is income after the standard or itemized deduction.
| Rate | Single filers | Married filing jointly |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | Up to $12,400 | Up to $24,800 |
| 12% | Over $12,400 | Over $24,800 |
| 22% | Over $50,400 | Over $100,800 |
| 24% | Over $105,700 | Over $211,400 |
| 32% | Over $201,775 | Over $403,550 |
| 35% | Over $256,225 | Over $512,450 |
| 37% | Over $640,600 | Over $768,700 |
Also for 2026: the estate tax exclusion is $15,000,000 and the annual gift exclusion is $19,000. These figures come from the IRS’s October 2025 inflation adjustments (Revenue Procedure 2025-32), which also carried the changes from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
2027 standard deduction and tax brackets (the return you file in 2028)
Standard deduction for tax year 2027: $16,600 for single filers and married people filing separately, $33,200 for married couples filing jointly, and $24,925 for heads of household. The brackets apply to taxable income, which is income after the standard or itemized deduction.
| Rate | Single filers | Married filing jointly |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | Up to $12,800 | Up to $25,600 |
| 12% | Over $12,800 | Over $25,600 |
| 22% | Over $52,025 | Over $104,050 |
| 24% | Over $109,125 | Over $218,250 |
| 32% | Over $208,325 | Over $416,650 |
| 35% | Over $264,550 | Over $529,100 |
| 37% | Over $661,375 | Over $793,650 |
Also for 2027: the estate tax exclusion is $15,480,000 and the annual gift exclusion is $20,000. These figures come from the IRS’s Nov. 5, 2026, inflation adjustments (IR-2026-133, Revenue Procedure 2026-35).
State property-tax fights, tariff collections and IRS performance stories run below as they happen. For how inflation feeds into the brackets, see Jobs & Inflation.
Sources: IRS, tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026 (IR-2025-103); IRS, tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2027 (IR-2026-133); IRS, Refunds; IRS newsroom.
Latest
Incumbent Laura Gillen (D) defeated Jeanine Driscoll (R/Conservative Party) and Blay Tarnoff (L) in the general election to represent New York’s 4th Congressional District
Incumbent Laura Gillen (D) defeated Jeanine Driscoll (R/Conservative Party) and Blay Tarnoff (L) in the general election to represent New York’s 4th Congressional District on November 3, 2026. Newsday’s Billy…
Keisha Lance Bottoms defeated Rick Jackson in the general election for governor of Georgia
Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) defeated Rick Jackson (R) in the general election for governor of Georgia on November 3, 2026. Click here for detailed results. As a result, Democrats gained…
Iowa tax cap faces budget deficit, new governor
(The Center Square) – Voters in Iowa approved an amendment to the state constitution that would make it more difficult for the legislature to raise individual income taxes. However, the…
Florida voters approve property tax amendment
(The Center Square) – Florida voters approved Amendment 3 on Tuesday, raising the amount of a qualifying home’s assessed value exempt from nonschool property taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and…
Tax questions swirl around Iowa data centers
(The Center Square) – Revenue from data centers in Iowa has returned millions of tax dollars to local homeowners and governments across the state, but growing opposition to the technology…
Flagstaff voters to decide sales tax hike for public safety
(The Center Square) – For the third time since 2015, voters in Flagstaff will decide whether to raise the city’s sales tax.
State Democratic and Republican parties took opposing positions on 70 ballot measures and agreed on six in 2026
State Democratic and Republican parties agreed on six statewide ballot measures this year, and disagreed on 70. On 50 state ballot measures, the state Republican Party supported them, and the…
16 states might tax federally approved education plans
(The Center Square) – Families in 16 states could face state taxes and penalties for using what’s called a “529 education savings plan” to pay for expenses approved under federal…
Report: Property taxes outpacing home values in Florida metros
(The Center Square) – Three Florida metropolitan areas ranked among the nation’s top 10 for property tax growth exceeding home value growth from 2022 to 2024, according to a ConsumerAffairs…
What the candidates running for Oregon House of Representatives District 27 said about healthcare and taxes
Tammy Carpenter (D / Working Families Party / Progressive Party) and G. Mark Norman (R) are running in the general election for Oregon House of Representatives District 27 on Nov.…
IRS proposes federal scholarship tax credit donor and credit rules that increase potential size of program, limit certain uses
On Oct. 2, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued temporary regulations and proposed final regulations to implement the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (FSTC), also known as the Education Freedom Tax…
Ballot measure campaigns raised more than $1.2 billion so far in 2026 and spent a record-high $193 million on signature drives
Campaigns supporting and opposing the 164 statewide ballot measures in 2026 raised more than $1.2 billion. Initiative campaigns spent a record $193 million on signature gathering. Campaign finance Here’s a…