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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →No immediate government shutdown deadline is looming as of October 4, 2026: Congress averted the September 30 funding deadline by enacting a continuing resolution through December 11. If lawmakers do not extend funding or pass appropriations by then, a lapse could affect federal services, including some IRS operations. A lapse would not necessarily stop every IRS function, but past continuity has not meant full taxpayer service.
What is the next government funding deadline?
The Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027 (P.L. 119-103), signed on September 2, 2026, provides continuing appropriations for covered federal operations through December 11, 2026. That replaced September 30 as the operative deadline. Unless Congress acts again, a funding gap could begin after December 11.
The IRS’s FY2027 budget page describes requested resources and priorities, including secure online services and modernization, but a budget request is not enacted funding. The continuing resolution—not the agency’s request—sets the current funding window. IRS FY2027 budget information.
Would the IRS close if funding lapses?
Not necessarily in full. In a February 2, 2026 statement about that specific funding lapse, the IRS said it would continue operating with funding available under 2022 legislation. The IRS’s lapse plan likewise described multi-year funds supporting specified work. Those documents establish that some operations can continue during a lapse; they do not guarantee the same staffing or services in a future FY2027 lapse.
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The plan included preparation for the 2026 filing season and modernization among the work that could continue. It estimated that 39,870 employees—53.6% of a workforce count of 74,299 as of July 24, 2025—would be retained for the plan’s modeled lapse period. Those are IRS figures from its 2025 plan, not a current headcount or a forecast for a future shutdown. IRS statement on the 2026 lapse; IRS FY2026 lapse plan.
What could a lapse mean for taxpayers?
The IRS’s October 21, 2025 notice gives a historical example, not a promise of what would happen in a later lapse. The agency said tax law and regular filing and payment deadlines remained in effect. At the same time, it warned of curtailed service and processing:
- Paper-return processing could be delayed.
- Taxpayer Assistance Centers would close and appointments would be canceled.
- Live telephone help would be limited.
- The IRS generally would not send responses to correspondence during the lapse.
- Some automated tools remained available.
The IRS’s February 2026 statement about a separate lapse said regular office hours and online self-service tools would continue under the funding available for that episode. Taken together, these notices show why service details must be checked against the IRS’s current guidance if a new lapse occurs; they do not establish how refunds, phone lines, walk-in help, paper returns, or correspondence would be handled in a future one. IRS October 2025 service notice.
Does a shutdown change tax deadlines?
In its October 2025 notice, the IRS said taxpayers still had to file and pay as normal and that regular deadlines remained in effect during that lapse. A future funding lapse would not, by itself, establish a new filing deadline. Check current IRS notices for any changes that apply to a particular tax obligation.
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Is the IRS preparing for the next filing season?
On October 1, 2026, the IRS sought community partners and volunteers for its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs for the upcoming filing season. That is evidence of filing-season preparation, but it does not show that a shutdown is imminent or guarantee that services would be unaffected by a later lapse. IRS notice on VITA and TCE volunteers.
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