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By Aliss Higham
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The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has confirmed it will continue normal operations during the current lapse in federal appropriations, meaning tax filing and refunds will proceed as usual, despite a partial government shutdown.
Why It Matters
The announcement covers the heart of tax season and addresses concerns that a shutdown could delay refunds that millions of households count on for monthly budgets and debt payments.
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Nearly 70 million Americans have already filed their annual federal tax returns, with refund amounts being more than 10 percent higher than the previous filing season. The federal agency has already issued more than 50 million refunds so far this tax season.
What To Know
A partial government shutdown began in late January, lapsing funding for the Department of Homeland Security and its components, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Transportation Security Administration, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the U.S. Secret Service.
However, the IRS is not impacted by the shutdown. The service said it will "continue operations under the current lapse in appropriations until further notice, using funding from 2022 legislation," and it instructed taxpayers to continue filing and paying taxes as normal.
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The agency said taxpayers can expect offices to keep regular hours, online self-service tools to remain available, and services to continue as usual during the filing season.
The IRS said funding from 2022 legislation allows it to keep offices open, maintain regular hours, and process returns, which distinguishes the current situation from prior shutdowns that limited services.
During the full government shutdown in fall 2025, the IRS limited operations and generally did not pay most refunds except for certain electronically filed, error-free Form 1040 returns with direct deposit, highlighting how shutdown impacts can vary by funding status.
Government Shutdown
The Department of Homeland Security shutdown is becoming one of the longest funding lapses in recent history, as past government shutdowns have stretched beyond a month, including the record one lasting 36 days in 2025.
The latest stems from a standoff over proposed reforms to immigration enforcement agencies, including ICE and CBP. After a series of shootings involving federal agents in Minnesota in January 2026, Congress passed a short-term funding extension through February 13 to allow time for negotiations on potential changes.
Lawmakers ultimately failed to reach a compromise, and with no agreement in place, funding lapsed and the Department of Homeland Security shut down.
What Happens Next
As the partial shutdown continues, the IRS will rely on its 2022 funding stream to keep filing, processing, and refund operations on track, and it will issue further guidance if circumstances change.
Taxpayers can still file returns and check refund status using IRS online tools, and the agency will maintain regular hours while emphasizing that deadlines, including April 15, will remain in place.
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