It's no secret that the IRS is seriously behind in processing tax returns. Although I received my refund within weeks of e-filing, millions of paper returns will be waiting a while.
Congress has not appropriated enough money for the IRS to function efficiently. That is the conclusion. In the meantime, here are three things to know if you're expecting:
Calling the IRS will not speed up your refund: Many taxpayers mistakenly believe the common myth that talking to the IRS on the phone or visiting an IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center in person will speed up your tax refund.
Don't worry about your 2021 return. The reality is that taxpayers generally won't need to wait for their 2020 return to be fully processed to file their 2021 tax returns. They should file when they're ready. Individuals with raw 2020 tax returns should enter $0 (zero dollars) for last year's AGI on their 2021 tax return when filing electronically.
There are many other reasons why your refund is delayed. While the IRS issues most refunds in less than 21 days, a refund may take longer for a variety of reasons, including when a return is incomplete or needs additional review. Delays can be caused by simple errors like an incomplete return, transposed numbers, or when a tax return is affected by identity theft or fraud.