If the government continues to stay shutdown, early tax filers won’t receive the refunds they’re expecting, a gap that may possibly put pressure on congressional negotiators and President Trump to reach a deal.

For many, the tax refund is the single largest financial event of the year. People who tend to file early in the season are taxpayers who count on large refunds to pay down debt, catch up on bills or make major purchases.

Those are disproportionately low-income households that benefit from the earned-income tax credit and other provisions that give them no income-tax liability or a net benefit from the income-tax system.

During the shutdown, the IRS will continue to process returns and it will accept payments. If you owe money to the government, it’s still due by April 15, 2019, shutdown or not.