Buffalo, NY (WBEN) Delays in Congress finalizing tax laws for 2013 have led to the IRS not accepting electronic returns for processing until February 1st. One tax expert has advice.

"For the typical taxpayer, they can get their return ready so they can have it ready to go at the end of January," says Esther Gulyas of EG Tax. She also notes the turnaround time for refunds will also be stretched out from seven to ten days to 21 days.

This may not be a one year deal, says Gulyas. "Next year, Obamacare comes into effect too, so I think until that's all phased in, we may be looking at delayed refunds and filing for two to three years," wanrs Gulyas.

She knows there's frustration because many rely on refunds to come out early for Christmas presents. "If you really want to be proactive and you're getting a large refund, change your W4 at work, so more of your take home pay goes to you and less goes to the government. Next year if there are delays, you've already gotten your money and your refund won't be large and maybe you can pay cash for some of those bills," advises Gulyas.