- Parts of the Internal Revenue Service’s online tax-filing system were down on Tuesday.
- David Kautter, the acting IRS commissioner, told lawmakers at a hearing that “a number of systems are unavailable at the moment.”
- Tuesday is Tax Day, the deadline for taxpayers to file their 2017 federal tax return.
The Internal Revenue Service’s online tax-filing platform is experiencing technical issues on Tuesday, the same day that 2017 federal tax returns were due.
David Kautter, the acting IRS commissioner, told members of Congress that some parts of the agency’s online system were experiencing technical difficulties.
“On my way over here this morning, I was told a number of systems are unavailable at the moment,” Kautter said. “We are working to resolve the issue, and taxpayers should continue to file as they normally would.”
A representative for the IRS echoed Kautter’s comments in a statement to Business Insider.
"Currently, certain IRS systems are experiencing technical difficulties," the representative said. "Taxpayers should continue filing their tax returns as they normally would."
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told reporters at a tax reform event in New Hampshire that the IRS outage was a "high-volume technical issue," according to The Associated Press, and filers who are unable to pay their taxes due to the issue will be granted an extension.
The IRS's website says its direct-pay option, which allows filers to pay taxes directly from a checking account, is currently unavailable.
Parts of the IRS's "Modernized e-File System" were also down on Tuesday.
Kautter said tax returns filed through services like H&R Block and TurboTax were not getting through to the IRS.
Tuesday is the deadline for Americans to file their 2017 federal tax return and for businesses and people who are self-employed to file for the first quarter of this year.
Kautter said the IRS would ensure there are no penalties for taxpayers who face technical issues with the IRS.
Larry Kudlow, President Donald Trump's top economic adviser, expressed concern about the outage.
"The IRS is crashing? It sounds horrible," Kudlow told reporters in Florida, where Trump is meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. "It sounds really bad. I hope it gets fixed."
Read more before filing your tax return this year:
- Here's when you can expect your tax refund to hit your bank account, according to the IRS
- How to figure out if you should do your own taxes or hire a pro
- I tried 11 websites that let you file your taxes online for free - and there's something for everybody
- We compared H&R Block and TurboTax for filing your taxes this year - and the winner is clear
- How to use H&R Block to file your taxes for free in 2018
- How to use TurboTax to file your taxes for free in 2018
Protect yourself against tax scams:
- The IRS isn't calling you - it's a scam, and here's what to do if it happens to you
- Identity thieves are running the same scams this tax season - with a new twist
- Last year my tax refund was stolen - here's what you should do so it doesn't happen to you
See how you compare with other taxpayers:
- What Americans pay in state income taxes, ranked from highest to lowest
- The size of your tax refund depends on where you live - here's how much the average person gets back in every state
- I filed my own taxes for the first time ever using TurboTax - and got the biggest refund I've ever received
- Getting a huge tax refund can be a costly mistake - here's why a financial planner would rather get a bill