As we move through the tax filing season, we wanted to share a quick overview of what to expect regarding refunds, payment deadlines, and extensions for your 2025 tax returns.
When to expect your refund
If you have already filed your 2025 tax return and are due a refund, the IRS typically issues refunds within a few weeks after the return is accepted, assuming there are no issues or additional reviews required. State refund timing can vary by state.
A few things to keep in mind:
- E-filed returns with direct deposit generally receive refunds faster than paper-filed returns or refunds issued by check.
- Refund timing is controlled by the IRS and state tax authorities, not by our office.
- You can track the status of your Federal refund here: https://www.irs.gov/refunds
- You can track the status of your New York State refund here: https://www8.tax.ny.gov/PRIS/prisStart
Tax payment deadline – April 15, 2026
Any balance due for your 2025 taxes must be paid by April 15, 2026, even if your return has not yet been filed. Filing an extension does not extend the time to pay, only the time to file the completed return.
To minimize interest and potential penalties, we want to ensure any expected balance due is paid by April 15.
Filing an extension
If your 2025 return is not ready to file by April 15, we will file an extension for you if needed. However:
- The extension moves the filing deadline, not the payment deadline.
- We still need to estimate your 2025 tax liability so an appropriate payment can be made with the extension.
What we need from you (especially if you typically extend)
If you typically file an extension, it is important that we receive enough information to prepare a reasonable projection of your 2025 taxable income before April 15.
Please send the following as soon as possible:
- All tax documents you have received so far (W-2s, 1099s, K-1s, brokerage statements, etc.).
- If some documents are still outstanding, send what you have and let us know what is missing.
- Let us know about any major 2025 events that may affect your taxes, such as the sale of property or a business, significant stock sales, new business activity, large income changes, or retirement distributions.
With this information, we can:
- Prepare a projection of your 2025 taxable income
- Estimate any balance due
- Arrange for appropriate payments to be made by April 15, whether we file your return or extend it.
Next steps
If you have already provided your information, we will continue processing your return or projection and will reach out if anything further is needed.
If you have not yet started gathering your documents, please begin doing so and send what you have as soon as possible so we can plan ahead of the April 15 payment deadline.
If you have questions about your situation, projected payments, or refund timing, please reach out to your personal Sciarabba Walker contact or email info@swcllp.com.