The IRS has announced that taxpayers have until April 17, 2012, to file their tax returns and pay any tax due because April 15 falls on a Sunday and Emancipation Day, a holiday in the District of Columbia, falls on April 16. Taxpayers requesting an extension will have until October 15, 2012, to file their 2011 tax returns. The IRS will begin accepting e-file and Free File returns on January 17, 2012. The IRS continues to encourage taxpayers to e-file as it is the best way to ensure accurate tax returns and get faster refunds. The IRS also announced a number of improvements aimed at making the 2012 tax season easy for taxpayers, including new navigation features and helpful information on IRS.gov, and a new pilot to allow taxpayers to use interactive video to get help with tax issues.