The 2024 tax season is quickly approaching, with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announcing Monday it will begin accepting and processing 2023 tax returns on Jan. 29.

However, taxpayers don't need to wait until that date to start working on their taxes. The IRS Free File program will be available starting Jan. 12., with some software companies able to accept completed tax returns and hold them until they can be filed. IRS Free File Guided Tax Software will also be available to any taxpayer or family with an Adjusted Gross Income of $79,000 or less in 2023 through the IRS site,

Starting on Jan. 29, Free File Fillable forms that can be filled out and e-filed for free will become available to filers at any income level.

This year, some eligible taxpayers can file online directly through the IRS using the IRS Direct File pilot program, which the agency said will be rolled out in phases and is expected to be widely available in mid-March for those in 13 participating states.

Taxpayers in Arizona, California, Massachusetts, and New York will have the option to file their federal and state taxes on the new system, while filers in Alaska, Florida, New Hampshire, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming (which don’t have state income taxes) can use it to file federal taxes.

This will mark the first time filers will be able use the Direct File program to file taxes online directly with the IRS for free, without using a third-party service like TurboTax (INTU) or H&R Block (HRB).

"As our transformation efforts take hold, taxpayers will continue to see marked improvement in IRS operations in the upcoming filing season," IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said in a release. The IRS said it expects more than 128.7 million individual tax returns to be filed by April 15, the deadline for most taxpayers to file. The agency said that while it "issues most refunds in less than 21 days," taxpayers should not plan their finances around receiving a refund on a specific day since "some returns may require additional review and may take longer."