IRS will begin accepting 2015 tax returns on Jan. 19

The U.S. Internal Revenue Service announced that it will begin accepting individual electronic tax returns Jan. 19. It will also begin processing paper tax returns on that day.

The IRS urges taxpayers to make sure they have all their year-end statements in hand before filing, including W-2 forms from employers, 1099 forms from banks and other payers and Form 1095-A from the Healthcare Marketplace for those claiming the premium tax credit.

IRS spokesman David Tucker said the agency also is encouraging taxpayers to use electronic filing and direct deposit, citing security, accuracy and speed of processing.

The filing deadline to submit 2015 tax returns is April 18, rather than the traditional April 15 date. The IRS noted that Emancipation Day is marked in Washington, D.C. on April 15, a Friday in 2016.

For more information, see irs.gov.

This story was originally published December 28, 2015 at 3:02 PM with the headline "IRS will begin accepting 2015 tax returns on Jan. 19."