The Internal Revenue Service is among federal agencies affected by the US government shutdown, and a protracted gridlock could complicate tax filings.
The agency is operating with only 12.5% of its workforce, or fewer than 10,000 federal employees, according to CNN.

During a shutdown, the IRS typically doesn't perform audits, pay refunds or offer assistance to taxpayers if they have questions — especially outside of the filing season.
Tax filing season usually begins in mid-January.