ORLANDO, Fla. — With Congress at odds over funding again, a partial government shutdown is possible as we head into the weekend. That means there could be federal workers furloughed, including at the Internal Revenue Service, right as taxpayers start to file.

What You Need To Know

Congress has until midnight on Friday to strike a deal to avoid a partial government shutdown

In the event of a shutdown, the impacts for taxpayers are expected to be minimal

For anyone that wants to e-file, that system will still be available, but refunds might be delayed. Paper filers could also see some delays

Any IRS services where you need help from a human will be impacted most if there is a shutdown

In the event of a shutdown, the affects for taxpayers are expected to be minimal. It’s early on — the IRS just opened to file on Monday — so there is plenty of time. Also, if you file electronically, like most do, there should not be any big impacts.

“What makes it unique this time around is that it is in the middle of tax season,” said Charlotte Erdmann, the founding attorney at Orlando Tax Law, when asked about a shutdown.

Erdmann said if the government shuts down, the biggest issue at the IRS will be for anyone that needs human help.

“It means that all the people who are having trouble with the IRS getting all of these tons of letters, getting collection letters with the automated collection system, if there is no one we can call to resolve that.”

That also includes possible delays for the nearly 10 percent of people who file their returns on paper.

“If you are paper filing, nothing is done, it is sitting in a bin until everyone comes back into the office,” said Vicki Simmons-Hinz, a CPA and Tax Partner at KSDT.

For the more than 90 percent of Americans that file electronically, there should not be major disruptions. “Generally, everybody e-files their tax return, so electronic filing doesn’t stop. That still continues to go through. Where people may see a delay is in the timing of their refund,” Simmons-Hinz said.

The National Taxpayers Union is keeping a close eye on how this will all play out in Washington. “I anticipate if there is a shutdown, it will be a very brief one. The IRS and Treasury Department are not really the subject of debate here, it is of course, the Department of Homeland Security, so I think that Congress will hash out a deal in order to get the Treasury Department, the IRS funded and make sure tax filing season goes as smoothly as possible,” said Brandon Arnold, the National Taxpayers Union Executive Vice President.

Shutdown or not, the deadlines remain the same, and you still have until April 15 to get your taxes filed. “I don’t think the IRS is going to be facing any kind of major backlog, if they are facing a backlog, as they often do, it i think will be more of the routine variety,” Arnold said.

Congress has to strike a deal by Friday at midnight to avoid a partial government shutdown. Regardless of how it shakes out in Washington, experts recommend you file your taxes as early as possible.