As Americans prepare for the opening of tax season, lawmakers are racing to avert a government shutdown. If they fail to come to an agreement, the resulting pause in nonessential operations could affect taxpayers’ filing experience, according to IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel.
By law, the agency can preserve certain activities for ongoing operations after a lapse in funding, Werfel told reporters last week. But “shutdowns are highly disruptive,” he said, noting it could “increase the risk that we don’t have as smooth a filing season as we intend to have.”
Congress faces two looming deadlines, Jan. 19 and Feb. 2, to finalize a deal or pass a short-term funding measure. It’s the second deadline that affects the IRS.
While lawmakers have taken steps to extend both deadlines to early March, the new dates would still leave limited working days to reach a deal.