Despite warnings by Treasury Department officials in January that the tax season would be extraordinarily challenging, it has progressed more smoothly for taxpayers and preparers than expected. The April 18 Tax Day was the first deadline to return to that month since 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, the IRS extended the filing and payment deadlines to July 15, and last year, it extended those deadlines to May 17. On the other hand. Treasury officials still found the tax season to be quite challenging because of staff shortages and the complexity associated with distributing pandemic relief money.