Federal offices are open on Good Friday. It is not one of the eleven holidays Congress has designated as federal public holidays, so agencies like the IRS, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Postal Service run on their usual Friday schedules. In 2026, Good Friday falls on April 3, which puts it squarely in the final stretch of tax filing season.1Internal Revenue Service. IRS Announces First Day of 2026 Filing Season
Why It Is Not a Federal Holiday
Federal holidays are set by statute. The list contains eleven days: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 USC 6103 – Holidays Good Friday is not on it. Because the list can only be changed by legislation, no president or agency head can add it by executive action. For federal purposes, Good Friday is an ordinary working Friday.
Which Federal Services Stay Open
If a federal office would normally be open on a Friday, expect it to be open on Good Friday.
- IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers follow the federal holiday calendar and close only on the eleven designated holidays, so walk-in help and phone lines run as usual.3Internal Revenue Service. Contact Your Local IRS Office
- Social Security Administration field offices are open. Good Friday is not on the agency’s published closure list.4Social Security Administration. Holiday Closings of Social Security Offices
- The U.S. Postal Service delivers mail on its regular schedule and keeps post office lobbies on standard hours. USPS observes the same eleven federal holidays and does not grant administrative leave for religious ones.5U.S. Postal Service. Employee and Labor Relations Manual – 518 Holiday Leave
- Federal courts stay open and deadlines still run. They close only on the holidays named in the federal statute.6United States Court of International Trade. Court Hours and Holidays
What This Means During Tax Season
Good Friday 2026 falls twelve days before the April 15 filing deadline. IRS offices and the IRS toll-free lines operate normally that day, so it is a valid day to book an in-person appointment, pick up forms, or call with a question about a return. Online tools such as IRS Free File and “Where’s My Refund?” are available around the clock regardless of any holiday, but for anyone who needs a live person, Good Friday is not a lost day.
Banks Are Open, Markets Are Closed
Good Friday splits the financial world in a way that catches people off guard. The Federal Reserve does not observe it, so Fedwire and ACH payment processing continue on their normal schedules.7Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Federal Reserve Bank Holiday Schedule Your bank is almost certainly open, wire transfers clear, and direct deposits arrive.
The stock and bond markets are different. The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq both close for the full day.8New York Stock Exchange. Holidays and Trading Hours9Nasdaq. Nasdaq Stock Market Holidays and Trading Hours The U.S. bond market closes early at noon Eastern Time the day before.10SIFMA. Holiday Schedule For time-sensitive trades or settlement dates, plan around the closure.
Religious Accommodation Explains Some Empty Desks
Federal offices are staffed on Good Friday, but individual employees who observe it may not be at their desks. The Office of Personnel Management allows any federal employee to take time off for a religious observance and make up the hours through “religious compensatory time,” worked within a window of thirteen pay periods before or after the absence.11U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Compensatory Time Off for Religious Observances Final Regulations Agencies are required to grant these requests as long as operations are not disrupted. The rule applies to any faith. The result on Good Friday: offices remain open to the public, but the particular person you want to reach may be out.
State and Local Offices Are a Separate Question
The federal answer does not settle the state or local one. Roughly a dozen states recognize Good Friday as a state holiday, among them Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas. In those states, state government offices, state courts, and some public schools may close. Even in states that do not formally designate the day, individual counties or school districts sometimes close it, particularly where spring break overlaps with Easter week. Before a Good Friday visit to a state or county office, check that specific office’s schedule rather than assuming it tracks the federal calendar.