If a tax presenter assures you that they can expedite your refund process, be careful, it could be a hoax.
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About 29 million taxpayers continue to wait for their tax refund from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Complaints from taxpayers have been gaining space on social media revealing that the IRS continues to suffer the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and in addition to a lack of staff.
A report from the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported that the IRS does not sufficiently communicate to taxpayers the source of delays in tax refunds, refunds, stimulus checks, and child tax credits that it is frustrating American families who are not yet receiving their due money.
According to the National Taxpayer Advocate, the IRS continues to retain 29 million tax returns that must be reviewed manually.
Before the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic, the IRS took time to send tax refunds within a maximum period of three weeks after taxpayers filed their return.
IRS assistance centers remain closed and the federal office had a backlog of tax returns that were filed on paper in 2019 that the IRS was unable to process when the coronavirus pandemic broke out in March 2020.
The IRS announced that some taxpayers may experience delays in their payments so they would have a longer wait in the Child Tax Credit programs.
Until now the IRS has processed 68 million tax refunds of 91 million returns that were filed for fiscal year 2020.
The agency has recommended that despite the delay in the refund, taxpayers should check regularly through its website using the Where is my refund? Tool.
What will you find in the IRS tool?
If you use the IRS tool this will not provide you with an exact date of when you can receive your tax refund.
Some people who are desperate for their refund have tried calling the IRS numbers. But nevertheless, the number of calls has increased by 300% and the agency is only answering 7% of them and if you are lucky, you will have to wait up to 20 minutes for someone to answer you.
In case you are still waiting for your tax refund, the only consolation you have is knowing that this money could be generating interest. Last year the IRS made payments of an average of $ 18 dollars to taxpayers who filed their return in 2019 as payment of repayment interest.
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