- The 2025 tax filing deadline is Tuesday, April 15, but Florida residents affected by Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton could qualify for an automatic extension.
- Taxpayers can track their refunds using the IRS “Where’s My Refund?” tool or the IRS2Go mobile app.
- Penalties apply for filing late, starting at 5% of unpaid taxes per month, up to a maximum of 25%.
We’re less than a week away from the official end of the 2024-2025 tax season. And the sooner you file, the sooner you can get your tax refund — or, unfortunately, pay your taxes. The last day to file taxes is next week, but Floridians in certain regions of the state who were affected by the major storms of the 2024 Hurricane Season automatically get an extension.
Last year, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that tax deadlines for people in the 51 counties under a state of emergency during Hurricane Milton would automatically be pushed back to May 1, 2025.
Combined with previous tax relief provided for taxpayers in counties affected by Hurricanes Debby and Helene, that means “affected taxpayers in all of Florida now have until May 1, 2025, to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments,” the IRS said in a release.
Here’s what to know about filing taxes, getting your refund and who qualifies for an automatic extension in Florida this year.
What is the deadline for filing taxes in 2025?
The first day to file taxes this year was on Monday, Jan. 27.
The last day to file your taxes is next Tuesday, April 15, 2025. The last day to file taxes is called Tax Day, and it always falls on April 15, unless it’s a weekend or holiday. Those in Florida affected by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton in 2024 may have an extra couple of weeks to file, according to the IRS.
If you know you can’t file by the April 15 deadline and weren’t affected by last year’s hurricanes, you can request a six-month extension before Tax Day to avoid any penalties and interest.
What is the new IRS deadline for people affected by Hurricanes in Florida?
Taxpayers affected by last Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton have until May 1, 2025, to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments, including:
- 2024 individual and business returns normally due during March and April 2025
- 2023 individual and corporate returns with valid extensions and quarterly estimated tax payments
“Certain deadlines falling on or after Oct. 5, 2024, and before May 1, 2025, are granted additional time to file through May 1, 2025,” the IRS says.
“As a result, affected individuals and businesses will have until May 1, 2025, to file returns and pay any taxes that were originally due during this period.”
According to the IRS, these are the counties where taxpayers could be eligible for the automatic extension:
- Alachua
- Baker
- Bradford
- Brevard
- Broward
- Charlotte
- Citrus
- Clay
- Collier
- Columbia
- DeSoto
- Dixie
- Duval
- Flagler
- Gilchrist
- Glades
- Hamilton
- Hardee
- Hendry
- Hernando
- Highlands
- Hillsborough
- Indian River
- Lafayette
- Lake
- Lee
- Levy
- Madison
- Manatee
- Marion
- Martin
- Miami-Dade
- Monroe
- Nassau
- Okeechobee
- Orange
- Osceola
- Palm Beach
- Pasco
- Pinellas
- Polk
- Putnam
- Sarasota
- Seminole
- St. Johns
- St. Lucie
- Sumter
- Suwannee
- Taylor
- Union
- Volusia
What documents do I need to file for a tax refund?
Here is a list of some tax forms you might need to fill out and what they do:
- Form 1040: If you’re using a tax filing service, like the IRS’s Free File service, they’ll have this form ready for you to fill out when the time comes. If you’re doing your taxes on your own, you’ll need to get a Form 1040 yourself from your library, or you can print it from the IRS’s website.
- W-2: If you work for an employer, they should give or mail your W-2 to you by the end of January. This form shows how much you earned last year and how much of what you made was deducted for taxes or other withholdings.
- 1099-NEC: This 1099 form is only applicable to you if you did freelance or contract work in 2023.
- 1099-K: If you’re a gig worker for a business like Uber, Lyft or Airbnb, you will probably use this form. This 1099 form is for reporting income that you received through third-parties, like payments through PayPal, debit cards or credit card processors.
- Other 1099 forms: If you earned interest from savings or investments, you might get a 1099-INT form. You could also get a 1099-DIV form, which tracks investment dividends and distributions. If you get a 1099-C form, you had $600 or more in debt that was canceled.
- 1098-E: This form tracks tax-deductible student loan interest payments over $600 and allows you to deduct up to $2,500 of interest on your student loans. If you paid less than $600, you may not receive a 1098-E, but if you find out what amount of interest you paid, you can still deduct it.
- 1098-T: The 1098-T is used for educational tax credits and deductions. It reports payments received for tuition and education expenses. You’ll also need to include scholarships or grants. If you need to fill this out, your school will send it to you or have it available in your student portal.
What are changes in the IRS in 2025?
New for the 2025 filing season, the IRS will accept Forms 1040, 1040-NR and 1040-SS, even if a dependent has already been claimed on a previously filed return, as long as the primary taxpayer on the second return includes a valid IP PIN.
The IRS said this change will reduce the time it takes for the agency to receive the tax return and accelerate the issuance of tax refunds for those with duplicate dependent returns.
Taxpayers who received more than $5,000 in payments for goods and services through an online marketplace or payment app in 2024 should expect to receive a Form 1099-K PDF in January 2025. A copy of this form will be sent to the IRS, as well.
The IRS said that while it is taking a phased in approach to implementation of the Form 1099-K reporting threshold, there have been no changes to the taxability of income.
Where’s my refund? How do I track down my IRS refund?
To track your refund, you can use the IRS’s “Where’s my refund?” search tool or use the IRS2GO mobile app.
If you filed an amended return, the IRS has a different search tool for tracking amended returns.
You’ll need your Social Security number or individual taxpayer ID number, your filing status and the exact refund amount on your return.
Here’s what your tax return status means:
- Return Received: Your return has been received and is being processed.
- Refund Approved: Your refund has been approved and will be issued by the date shown.
- Refund Sent: We sent the refund to your bank or as a check in the mail.
How long does a tax refund take with direct deposit?
According to the U.S. Department of Treasury, “Assuming no issues, IRS issues tax refunds in less than 21 calendar days after the IRS receives the tax return.” But if you chose direct deposit, you could get it within about five days.
Can I still file my taxes if I miss the deadline? What do I do if I miss the April 15 Tax Day deadline?
You can file for an extension if you haven’t filed by April 15, but there are penalties to filing your taxes late. The Failure to File penalty applies if you don’t file your tax return by the due date.
The IRS calculates the penalty as 5% of the unpaid taxes for each month or part of a month that a tax return is late. The penalty won’t exceed 25% of your unpaid taxes.
If you’re more than 60 days late to file your return, the Failure to File penalty ranges from $100 to $485.
When should I start checking my refund status?
That depends on how you filed.
The IRS will post your return status:
- 24 hours after you e-file a current-year return
- 3 or 4 days after you e-file a prior-year return
- 4 weeks after you file a paper return
The IRS updates this information once a day, overnight.