Anyone else with delayed tax refunds?

[RetireBy90]

My neighbor had not received his check as of earlier this week, and I saw a local news item about some are being sent a debit card rather than a paper check. Another thread had some info about which IRS processing centers were doing debit cards. I sent him a note about debit card and he found his card in a stack of items to be shred. Good thing he hadn't been more prompt with the shred pile. Took it to CU yesterday and had it deposited to his account no problems except they wanted to see ID for a deposit.



Mine, I got a $27 direct deposit couple months ago. Still trying to figure if I'll save or spend the $$.

 

[FIREd_2015]

Why didn't you take it upfront, or it wasn't planned to be that large?

I pay the insurance premiums with the Fidelity Rewards card so I can get 2% back (~$250 in 2019). The other reason is I have a fear that I'm not going to stay under the ACA limit since my income can vary quite a bit (part time gig, investments, rental property). In a normal year I get my refund by end of March and 2% return isn't bad in today's interest rate environment. This year though I may have to wait until August/September.

 

[Dtail]

I pay the insurance premiums with the Fidelity Rewards card so I can get 2% back (~$250 in 2019). The other reason is I have a fear that I'm not going to stay under the ACA limit since my income can vary quite a bit (part time gig, investments, rental property). In a normal year I get my refund by end of March and 2% return isn't bad in today's interest rate environment. This year though I may have to wait until August/September.

The Fidelity rewards is an interesting angle.
I pay for my brother and I using BOA rewards at CVS, so I would get 5.25% on the 23k savings vs. the Ally Bank savings of 1.25%.
Never thought of that angle.

Edit - would actually have a 10k yearly limit, but still....

 

[tmm99]

Well, I'm glad to hear the delay is also happening to people who filed electronically, like myself. I was worried something was wrong with my particular return.

 

[Montecfo]

Yes, still no status what so ever. It's as if the envelope was date stamped when it arrived months ago but never actually opened, simply sitting in a big stack with millions of others. It's the California IRS office so I assume that has something to do with it, most offices are still shut down around here.

It must be among the 10 million pieces of unopened mail at IRS service centers.

 

[travelover]

I got my check a few weeks ago and yesterday I got a letter in the mail from the IRS telling me the check was coming. Oddly. the letter was signed with a seismograph.

 

[ivinsfan]

I got my check a few weeks ago and yesterday I got a letter in the mail from the IRS telling me the check was coming. Oddly. the letter was signed with a seismograph.

We're talking tax refunds not Corona payments

 

[ivinsfan]

Talking regular tax refunds from 2019 taxes..not Corona payments..I still haven't filed and might just file an extension

 

[BrianB]

We e-filed with TurboTax in early March, with an expected Federal refund of $225. Standard deduction and no special situation except for the ACA Advance Premium Credit. As of last week the return is "still being processed" (but was accepted, so I know they got our original filing).

A couple weeks ago I opened the TurboTax file to look through it and see if there were any issues I could find. There was an obscure special ACA issue that resulted in requiring form 8885 ("recipient of a qualifying trade adjustment assistance program") and supporting documents to be snail-mailed to the IRS. I don't know how it happened - I must have answered some TurboTax question wrong and it led me to that end. We don't qualify for the special situation so I don't have the document they need.

Correcting the mistake resulted in an $18 reduction in the refund. I sent an amended 1040 with a $18 check on 5/21. The check has not yet cleared our bank.

I'm pretty sure our delay is due to the IRS waiting for the required document, but I'm hoping that the amended form will get things through the system and get our refund mailed.

I'm really glad the refund was small. If I was waiting for a big refund it would be a lot more frustrating!

 

[Finance Dave]

For me, the website just says still in process.
It appears from examples, that returns filed later went through okay with timely refunds.

Mine said that for a week, but then said I had to go in and enter electronic banking info. I thought that was odd, as we had given the banking info to them in years past. However, we had already filed our 2019 return and we owed money...so my guess is that they won't use "old" banking info...only from the most recent return. Not sure how you can check on that...but just a thought.

 

[travelover]

We're talking tax refunds not Corona payments

Oops, still thought it was weird.

 

[ivinsfan]

Oops, still thought it was weird.

You either get an electronic payment or a paper check. They then send a letter so they can verify you got the payment. Nothing weird about it.

 

[travelover]

You either get an electronic payment or a paper check. They then send a letter so they can verify you got the payment. Nothing weird about it.

Oh yea? You should have seen the signature.

 

[Dtail]

Mine said that for a week, but then said I had to go in and enter electronic banking info. I thought that was odd, as we had given the banking info to them in years past. However, we had already filed our 2019 return and we owed money...so my guess is that they won't use "old" banking info...only from the most recent return. Not sure how you can check on that...but just a thought.

Mine gives the same info 4 months later. I used the same banking info as the previous year, so that is not the issue for me.
Unfortunately the local office is still closed (but I can get a tattoo) and I won't be able to "talk strongly" to the IRS when they do open up.

 

[Amethyst]

I wonder if self-filers have to wait longer? Our CPA filed our return in April. State and Federal refunds were direct-deposited a week later.

 

[SecondCor521]

I wonder if self-filers have to wait longer? Our CPA filed our return in April. State and Federal refunds were direct-deposited a week later.

AFAIK, the IRS doesn't distinguish between people who file their own returns vs. those that are done through a paid preparer in the processing of the returns.

A paid preparer is generally able to file electronically, which helps speed things up dramatically. Direct deposit also makes things go faster.

And of course a paid preparer might also help in the case of an audit or adjustment.

 

[W2R]

I e-filed using Turbotax on February 15th, and my refund from the IRS was deposited to my checking account ten days later on February 25th. Then on April 15th my government stimulus money was deposited.

Just reading this thread I am realizing how lucky I was this year. I can't imagine waiting this long to get a refund from the IRS. It's JUNE for heaven's sake. I'd be freaking out.

 

[Texas Proud]

Still no refund here either...


And had requested direct deposit...

Well, false initial report... I DID get the refund in a couple of weeks...


Lots of stuff going on so I missed it...

 

[W2R]

Well, false initial report... I DID get the refund in a couple of weeks...

Lots of stuff going on so I missed it...

So glad you got it!!! And yes, like you many of us have numerous fascinating pursuits to occupy our minds and I can sure relate to having missed it.

 

[lem1955]

2018 Refund - MIA

I owed the Feds for 2019 but I had filed an amended return for 2018 in January 2019. I called in February and was told it had been received and I would receive the refund in early April. No such luck. And rather than sit on the phone for hours asking yet again, I've decided to just wait it out.

 

[athena53]

I filed on paper in early March. I always did- the tinfoil hat person in my brain doesn't want to give the gummint any more detail than I have to electronically. I had a $4,600 refund coming- unusual but my investment results fluctuate a lot and the capital gains distributions come in late in the year.

So... I decided I could afford to have quartz countertops put in. I waited and waited and waited for the refund... then found out what everyone else knows here. The countertops are in, the charges put on the credit card, the bill paid in full from other funds.

I know the IRS says not to e-file if you filed on paper but I consulted my brother, a CPA and retired tax partner at a large CPA firm and he said to e-file. That was 3 weeks ago today. Accepted and in process.

They cashed my Estimated Tax payment for Q1 promptly, of course.

 

[PhrugalPhan]

I always did paper filing, but my GF started working at HR Block and insisted I file through her for free. That worked perfectly. I got my refund in a few weeks. And even better, I filed late enough that the stimulus check calculation used my 2018 tax return which doubled my stimulus amount.

Talk about luck....

 

[msanniee]

Filed electronically in February with direct deposit. Haven’t received yet. Called IRS about delay, and was told it would take another 7 weeks because of backlog. That was more than 10 weeks ago.

 

[angelfly55]

Hello, I reached and IRS representative today 6/9 because I mailed a paper Fed refund on April 2, I have not received my refund yet. The rep told me that the IRS office in Utah has just started to open and the Texas offices will start to open next week. She said the mail is back logged and that it could be as late as April before I could expect to get my refund. I asked if i should send in another reform, she said no not to do that because it would only confuse the process. I asked if July 15, came and I still could not get a status on my refund if I would be penalized. She said no because there is no penalty when you are getting a refund.

 

[martyp]

Wow. Glad you asked this question. I am still waiting for my refund too.

For the first time in over a decade I filed my 2019 taxes using a paper 1040 form rather than an electronic submission. I needed to do it this way because we needed to apply for an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number for my Thai wife. We got a letter from the IRS with my wife’s ITIN in mid-March so I am assuming my tax form can be considered filed at that time. At the same time I filed my California taxes electronically and got my CA refund about 2 weeks later. Paper vs electronic really makes a difference.