Millions of taxpayers are still waiting for refunds and/or struggling to understand IRS notices saying their refund amounts have been adjusted. And the IRS expects to receive another 4 million returns for tax year 2020 by the October 15th tax filing extension deadline. – Forbes October 10, 2021
Why are tax refunds so late? Why is the IRS not answering phone calls? When will I get my refund? How do I get my back taxes resolved if the IRS is buried in normal, filed-on-time, business?
The backlog at the IRS has generated more questions than answers and at Ken-Mar Tax we’re also in a unique position. Under normal circumstances, as an enrolled agent, a special designation the IRS gives to tax preparation professionals that pass a rigorous test on IRS rules and complete 72 hours of continuing education requirements by an IRS authorized provider, we typically experience a direct line into the IRS to get questions answered for our clients almost immediately. Not this year! Ken Weinberg, enrolled agent, is on hold with the IRS the second he gets into the office, at 7AM, and waits for hours.
“The IRS is broken right now,” says Phil Williams, 38-year veteran IRS employee and current IRS enrolled agent. “They’re understaffed, and their computers are not up to date. The problem is so much came in the mail during COVID-19 that it was stashed away, and they didn’t even open it and process it…, it’s impossible to get through to the IRS unless you pay for a service called enQ, and most professionals use that. I’m paying $60 a month. They’ll put you at the front of the line, but I’ve had to wait at least a couple of hours now because the system is so bad…It’s just depressing. But for the ordinary taxpayer, there’s no way to get in. It’s horrible.”
When Will I Get My IRS Refund?
According to the IRS, the best way to stay informed about your refund is to use the “Where’s My Refund?” web page, where you will be asked to provide your social security number or ITIN, your filing status and your exact refund amount.
As of June, the IRS backlog was reported at 35 million tax returns, which they got down to 8 million unprocessed tax returns by the end of September – but the October 15th tax filing deadline surely threw those numbers back up.
Who Can I Contact About Back Taxes?
While the IRS whittles away at the pile of unprocessed tax filings they are not likely to prioritize more difficult tax returns and back tax issues. If there was even the simplest error or special attention required, a standard four month delay has been reported. In the mean time, if you have back taxes that you would like resolved, contact Ken Weinberg for a free consultation to see if his enrolled agent status may help open some doors for you and get some answers. Call the office at (440) 777-2207.
