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VERIFY | Will federal tax returns be on time following the recent government shutdown?

A THV11 viewer asked our Verify team to find out if federal tax returns will be on schedule or delayed following the recent government shutdown. THV11 got them answers.

With a government shutdown averted this month, there are still questions. One of them has to do with federal tax returns. 

And THV11’s verify team gets answers. 

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Harry Feustel writes in asking, "With the government shutdown being averted will our tax returns be sent on schedule or be delayed?" To answer this, we go straight to the source, the IRS and the IRS commissioner Chuck Rettig. 

Rettig issued a statement January 7, saying, "We are committed to ensuring that taxpayers receive their refunds notwithstanding the government shutdown. Now, there was some question about this because in 2011 the office of management and budget directed the IRS not to pay refunds during a lapse. 

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But we can verify, according to the IRS, the OMB reviewed that rule and concluded that the IRS may pay tax refunds during a government lapse. In fact, if the shutdown had continued, the IRS said it would recall furloughed workers to make it happen. 

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So, we can verify that if you're due a refund, there shouldn't be a delay. And the filing deadline stands you have to submit a 2018 tax return by Monday, April 15.

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