IRS Takes Months to Process Returns and Ignores Calls
Individuals are experiencing significant difficulties with the IRS, including delayed refunds, unexpected notices, errors in processing, and an inability to communicate with IRS representatives. These issues range from incorrect direct deposit information to data entry errors and technical website problems, causing frustration and uncertainty for taxpayers.
SOURCES (60)
“Sorry hit the wrong thread. It may take a couple of days if they did end up filing it today. I would start by asking the firm for a copy of the e-file acknowledgment for CA showing "accepted". Then maybe later this week check back…”
“Got money back last week as a check through the mail. I tried calling the IRS whole bunch of times also and was never able to get anyone. I am relieved I got the money back. I actually turned off overdraft protection on my checking account with my bank, as I would prefer the transaction to be declined if something like this ever happens again. However the bank could always still allow the transaction through and charge a fee for the overdraft :(”
It's 15 months late. That's probably both penalties and interest.
“I finally got my refund mailed to me last week as a check through standard post. So this was a solid three month ordeal waiting to get the overpayment returned. Relieved I finally received it. Also got a little interest on top of it.”
“It is generally not a good idea to mail any tax return more than once, unless the agency requests it. The confusion at the agency resulting from multiple filings will only cause further processing delay.”
“for income tax, new hampshire and kentucky from a combined tax return perspective”
“Paper amended returns for a decedent are a slow grind. Six to nine months is common, and those IRS letters often recycle empty promises rather than actual timelines. If there's no Form 1310 attached, the refund stalls because they don't know who to pay, so check with the preparer to see if they included it.”
“Just keep in mind that if you are in a state that also has income tax, the W2 that you can view on your irs account will not be helpful for that. It only records the federal information, none of the state information. Your employer is actually required by law to provide you another copy of your W2 if you ask for it. Just tell them that the IRS says that you have to get another copy from them. Hopefully that would light a fire under them.”
“Still waiting for my 2024 refund. Amended return accepted march 30th and it said to wait 16 weeks so here we are.”
“it was under 25% and i read that they cant assess tax after the 3 years - but i know now.”
“You likely have a few options: -Ask employer/HR/Payroll for another copy -if they use a payroll provider like ADP those services sometimes have an employee registration/login where you can view your W-2 -You can create an IRS account and see your W-2 there”
“Paid for citizenship on Mar 23rd - $649.75 Submitted on April 8th and was hoping AOR soon I just got back the application that there was missing information & when I checked they said I need to pay. I was surprised as I had the payment receipt uploaded Did a quick google check and apparently I had paid on March 23rd and the fees increased by $3.25 on March 31st So the $3.25 cost me which I didn’t know that I was due as I had already paid but looks like I submitted in system on April 8th so n”
“Let’s simplify this. If you make money doing a job, you owe taxes. Full stop. Doesn’t matter if they are withheld and remitted by your employer, or if you remit them yourself. Death and Taxes.”
“It’s not illegal unless they don’t pay quarterly estimates and include it on their taxes come tax time.”
“>his partner Is this a joint business? All income is taxable. When he will owe will depend on what type of business he is in. Nothing wrong with getting paid through Zelle, but taxes should be taken out at some point. If this is a LLC and they are splitting profits then he will get a schedule K at the end of the year, in which you guys will file with your return.”
“YES. Thank you. Many of these have different definitions of nexus and how to calculate taxable income. Some can’t be amended for if you miss initially (reduced pass through rate). Then add the payroll tax compliance. I have yet to see an out of state preparer get everything right for a Portland client. It’s bonkers.”
“sadly jokes like that aren't too far off. Equipment leasing adds to the complexity for sure!”
“Illinois is a rough one as well. Home rule jurisdiction states make it extra "fun"”
“Certified Mail or Registered Mail are considered received as of the date on the Certified/Registered Mail receipt. Thesecwo services are specifically protected in IRS regulations and tax court cases. Priority Mail, even with tracking, is not afforded the same protections. If you wa t an absolute proof of mailingbthat will hold up in tax court, use Certified or Registered Mail from the USPS. It is cheaper than Priority Mail in most cases. That said, USPS Priority Mail with tracking may be suffici”
“Thank you, that's good to hear it's not a large amount of money. I've been very worried. I made some mistakes while making money off a hobby of mine that I tried to turn into a business and now I'm scrambling. E-filing the other years (23/24) but still owing around that much per year.”
“Send it priority with tracking or certified mail. I'd go with the first one personally. Proof that you sent the return and paid the amount in question should be sufficient. $400 isn't a lot of money in this context”
“Client filed 2024 return using the W-2 they received from their previous employer. They get a letter saying "hey we need to verify some stuff". So they sent in everything they had. Client isn't the best record keeper. The last paystub they had didn't match the W-2 they received. The IRS continued to send "We need 60 more days" notices until they sent one in November 25 asking for more information again. That was when they called me. I submitted all of the information”
“I just got an income tax bill for $43,000 from the IRS regarding the sale of the ET shares I held in my IRA account??? Their investors relations are telling me that is correct since I should never have held ET shares in an IRA account??? I had held the ET shares in my IRA account for several years and reinvested the sale proceeds into more dividend securities in the same IRA account. How can this income tax be legitimate? Has anyone else had this tax attack in what is touted to be a tax deferred”
“New client, hasn't filed since roughly 2019. Mid-2026 now. Transcripts show ~$400k/year in 1099-NECs across the years, but not a single notice for any years including 2020, and I've reviewed the transcripts. Policy Statement 5-133 / IRM only pushes six years of back filing for compliance. So 2020 is six months from falling outside that window. Question: with a now engaged client, do you file 2020 now and hand over a large balance owed + P&I, or do you not wake the sleeping dog for 20”
“If all of your US income is reported on Form 1042-S, and the tax rate shown on Form 1042-S is correct, then you generally don’t have to file a return. If you do have to file, you can try OLT. Note that OLT supports both 1040 and 1040-NR, so make sure to choose the right one.”
“Does one check both abatement or refund? What if you have been paying installment and have some remaining balance left after these years. Does the IRS abate the remaining and issue the refund for fines and interest already paid?”
“So my husband have this unpaid tax for 2025 but we have all his tax related documents except for the Tax Payment Plan letter from the IRS because he managed to do it last minute even tho I’ve asked him multiple of times. I’m still hoping that the letter might arrive before our interview, but in case it doesn’t, is the Screenshot enough as proof that he’s paying his unpaid taxes? Hope someone could help me here. I’ve been overthinking that we might get RFE because of that. I’m a K1 AOS filer btw”
“Sorry, I thought you were saying the OT deduction was insignificant to small taxpayers.”
“Wouldn’t that show on my irs account transcript? I also do not have an amount due with the IRS. Separately my husband amended his because his former accountant left off a 1099. It’s not odd that he amended it with a new accountant. Seems a strange response.”
“Based on your edited information, it seems likely the IRS adjusted your tax return to include 1099 income that was omitted from the return. I don't know why you did not receive an IRS letter explaining the change and assessing additional tax. And it seems odd that your spouse amended his return to also include income that he omitted from his original return. If you can't get an explanation of the change from the IRS, I suggest you double-check all your investment accounts and 1099s recei”
“Because I don’t know what adjustments were made by the irs that triggered the letter. I did call nys and they said I would need to find out from the irs.”
Exactly my question. NY is probably easier to get a human at
“Do you and your spouse own any investment accounts jointly where 50% of the income was reported on each spouse's tax return?”
“Classic NY move, their deduction rules are the exact opposite of federal. Spouse's amendment likely flipped the switch so now your NY return needs to match.”
“I don’t know what the amendment to my federal taxes are that would make me have to change my nys. Nys says I need to ask the irs. That’s who reported a change to nys.”
“My spouse and I file married filing separately. He and his accountant amended his return. Now NYS wants an amended return from me. I cannot get a human on the phone at the IRS. My account transcript has no change. NYS says my transcript wouldn’t show changes and they need an amended return. I’m not sure what to do. submitted by /u/Southern-Volume8570 [link] [comments]”
Did you ask for the refund to be applied to the next year or paid out?
He's self-employed, thus he needs to account for his income
“Ah, I see. We don't yet know the IRMAA thresholds for 2028 and they do go up every year, so it's possible they'll be higher than you think. You should definitely use the worksheets in Pub 915 if you have SS payments for prior years though. Any decent tax software will have a way to enter the info from your prior return(s) to do the calculation for you.”
“I would favor eliminating schedule A and raising the standard deduction enough to make it revenue neutral. It hurts me a little, as I itemize, but makes tax law much simpler.”
“If you log into your IRS account and click on "Notices and letters", can you read the CP22 there? You need to find out what it says before you can do anything else. Once you have the letter, then if you aren't sure whether you agree with the IRS assessment, it's a good idea to have a professional review the return and tell you whether the tax is legit or if the IRS has made an error and how you should respond. After all that, if it turns out you do owe the extra tax, you should”
“Would appreciate any help on this. Just received a confusing IRS Notice CP30 for my personal 2024 tax return. It shows "Refund Amount: $4122.52" on the top. In the summary section it has "Refund due: -$4122.52' (negative of the above refund). Within the summary section it includes the line "Failure to pay proper estimated tax penalty $147.20". So what payment is IRS asking for? Should not be more than the penalty I'd think, since I already included the complete a”
“I filed my taxes in February, but still haven’t received my refund from NY State. In May, they sent a letter that says “We need more information about your New York State Income Tax return “, where they asked for my W2s and 1099s for stocks. I uploaded everything online immediately, but I still have no update. Any idea why, or anything I can do? submitted by /u/RedditInfor [link] [comments]”
“I’m about to ask to reopen the case Form 290b is ready, Read the picture please then help me, I got confused, please help me. When filling the I-864 should I file it with the 2023 taxes documents ?since it was the one they’ have asked for Or should I use the current taxes to file it: using the 2025 taxes and make a whole documents without the need of joint sponsor now because sponsor is qualified. I’ve planned to send: 2023 taxes documents New Affidavit of Support where the sponsor is qualified”