TAMPA, Fla. — It has been two weeks since the partial government shutdown began, and Friday, congressional leaders are set to meet with President Donald Trump again to try to come to a resolution.
- Citizens are still able to file taxes during shutdown
- IRS only operating with 12% of its employees
- IRS will not offer help to taxpayers during shutdown
The same group previously met on Wednesday with little progress.
House Democrats passed two proposals Thursday aimed at ending the shutdown. One would fund the Department of Homeland Security until February 8. The other, an appropriations package, would fund all parts of the government through September.
But neither of the two measures include the $5 billion that Trump wants for a border wall, so the president said he would veto them.
"We are not doing a wall. So that's that," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.
"Without a wall you can't have border security. It won't work," Trump said.
The Internal Revenue Service is currently operating with just a little more than 12 percent of its employees, which isn't causing any major impacts right now.
But tax season usually starts mid-January.
The agency's current plan only explains how it would handle the first five business days of a government shutdown. So as the shutdown drags on, the IRS is heading into uncertain territory and could demand that employees show up to work without pay.
As long as the government remains closed, those still waiting on tax refunds from before 2018 will have to wait longer.
Once the IRS begins accepting tax returns this year, you'll still be able to mail them in or submit them online even if the government is still shut down.
However, during a government shutdown, the IRS typically doesn't do audits, pay refunds, or offer any assistance to tax payers if they have any questions, which could cause headaches for taxpayers if they have issues or questions.