Those filing their taxes early should not expect an early tax return again this year, as the IRS is still implementing identity theft protections.

Janel Crowe with H&R Block in Indianola tells KNIA News you can and should still file early to get it out of the way, and the new protections went well last year.

“I think it was a success, despite some people having to wait for their returns because the IRS made sure they got it right. We expected the delays to last longer than it did, but the IRS did a good job making sure everything got processes. I would also caution that you want to make sure you have all the documentation of all the credits you are taking, as making it through the first pass-through doesn’t mean you wont get an audit later.”

The current shutdown of the federal government does affect the IRS, as during the shutdown they will not give out any refunds or perform audits, but it is unclear at this time if that will continue through the tax season.