IRS Announces Important Changes Just Before Tax Season

Tax season is upon us, with Americans able to file their taxes as early as next Monday, January 26. The next three months will be a mad rush for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Ahead of this critical period for his organization, IRS Chief Executive Officer Frank Bisignano announced a personnel shakeup and other important changes aimed to improve customer service and modernize the agency.

New leadership in place

Bisignano revealed the changes in a letter to the IRS' 74,000 employees, according to the Associated Press. In it, he named Gary Shapley, a whistleblower in the federal case regarding Hunter Biden's taxes, as deputy chief of Criminal Investigation.

Shapley previously served as acting IRS Commissioner for a brief period in 2025. Additionally, Guy Ficco, the head of Criminal Investigation, will retire and be replaced by Jarod Koopman, who will also serve as chief tax compliance officer.

Finally, Joseph Ziegler, who was also involved in the Hunter Biden inquiry, will be the new chief of internal consulting.

Bisignano, who was hired to his position back in October, has named several main objectives for 2026, including "enhancing customer service, improving tax collections and safeguarding taxpayer privacy," per the AP.

IRS previously announced changes in tax deductions, credits

The IRS says it expects to receive 164 million individual tax returns this year, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent saying he expects "gigantic" and "very large" returns for many Americans.

"The bill was passed in July, working Americans didn’t change their withholding, so they’re going to be getting very large refunds in the first quarter,” Bessent said, via Newsweek. “So I think we’re going to see $100-$150 billion of refunds, which could be between $1,000, $2,000 per household. Then, they’ll change their withholding, and they’ll get a real increase in their wages.”

Following the passage of the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) last July, the IRS and the United States Treasury Department issued a number of updates on what Americans can expect when they file their 2025 taxes.

Some of the changes include:

• An increase in the standard deductions for married and single filers
• No tax on tips, overtime or car loan interest
• Additional tax deductions for senior citizens

More information and guidance on filing your taxes in 2026 can be at the official IRS website.