IRS now accepting all 2012 returns

The Internal Revenue Service has finished updating its tax-processing systems so that all remaining individual and business taxpayers may now file their 2012 federal income tax returns, according to a news release from Mark Hanson, IRS spokesman for this area.

Over the weekend, the IRS completed reprogramming and testing of its systems for tax-year 2012 including all remaining updates required by the American Taxpayer Relief Act (ATRA) that Congress enacted in January. This final step clears the way for those claiming residential energy credits on Form 5695 and various business tax credits and deductions to file their returns, the release said.

The IRS began accepting 2012 returns in phases, while working to update various forms and instructions and make critical adjustments to its processing systems to reflect the current law.

The agency began accepting most returns filed by individual taxpayers on Jan. 30. Additional returns could be accepted in February. All remaining returns, affecting in relative terms “the smallest group of taxpayers,” according to the news release, can now be filed.

There are six weeks to go before the April 15 filing deadline, which falls on a Monday.

The IRS wants to remind taxpayers that “the best way to file an accurate return” is to e-file, choose direct deposit if expecting a refund and take advantage of the wide variety of tax-filing and tax-help resources available on IRS.gov.

People who need more time to finish their returns can easily get an automatic six-month tax-filing extension by going to the Free File link or filing Form 4868