More than 21 million paper tax returns are still waiting for processing by the Internal Revenue Service, as the tax agency struggles to swiftly disburse refunds to American households, according to a watchdog report released Wednesday.
At the end of May 2021, the IRS had an additional 15.8 million returns that had been suspended during processing and required manual review by IRS employees.
Tax return backlog is 'crushing the IRS' as pileup exceeds 21 million.
But the IRS is still processing paper returns and has an "unprecedented" backlog of over 21 million returns, as well as returns with suspected errors or identity theft to get through, reports Erin Collins, the national taxpayer advocate.
Washington (CNN) The Internal Revenue Service will finally get through the massive pandemic-induced backlog of federal tax returns filed in 2021 this week, the agency said on Tuesday.
Americans who file paper forms tend to have an average wait of about six months, and these returns often provide thousands of dollars in refunds to low-income workers that can be critical for supplementing their incomes.
As the return is processed, whether it was filed electronically or on paper, it may be delayed because it has a mistake including errors concerning the Recovery Rebate Credit and the Child Tax Credit, is missing information, or there is suspected identity theft or fraud.
Paper Return Delays
The IRS issues more than 9 out of 10 refunds in less than 21 days. However, it's possible your tax return may require additional review and take longer.
The IRS said it continues to work on the few remaining 2021 individual tax returns that have processing issues or require additional information from the taxpayer, and that employees continue to process tax returns filed in the order received.
The IRS is making progress on its backlog of unprocessed tax returns, but millions remain, the agency said Tuesday. As of June 10, there were 11 million pending individual returns, including filings received before 2022 and new 2021 returns, according to the IRS.
They noted that “because the I.R.S. entered this filing season with a significant backlog, millions of paper returns received in 2022 have not yet been processed.”
If you're still waiting on your tax refund, it's possible that your tax return is taking longer for the IRS to process because it requires additional review. There are several reasons why your tax return may be delayed: Errors such as an incomplete filing status. Missing information.
When you e-file, it typically takes 24 to 48 hours for the IRS to accept your return. Once your return is accepted, you are on the IRS' refund timetable. The IRS typically issues refunds in less than 21 days after your e-filed return is accepted. You can use the IRS Where's My Refund?
How do I get a new one? If you lost your refund check, you should initiate a refund trace: Call us at 800-829-1954 (toll-free) and either use the automated system or speak with an agent. However, if you filed a married filing jointly return, you can't initiate a trace using the automated systems.
Things that can delay a refund:
The return has a claim filed for an earned income tax credit, additional child tax credit, or includes a Form 8379, Injured Spouse AllocationPDF. The time it takes a taxpayer's bank or credit union to post the refund to the taxpayer's account.
In fact IRS recently confirmed that 2022 tax season delays are set to continue due to factors such as tax filer submission errors that require manual reviews, processing/validation of past year and amended returns, increase fraud/identity verification and ongoing agency staffing shortages.
If you haven't received your tax refund after at least 21 days of filing online or six weeks of mailing your paper return, go to a local IRS office or call the federal agency (check out our list of IRS phone numbers that could get you help faster).
The IRS continues to work on the few remaining 2021 individual tax returns that have processing issues or require additional information from the taxpayer. As of June 10, the IRS had processed more than 4.5 million of the more than 4.7 million individual paper tax returns received in 2021.
If you still aren't sure what happened with your refund, contact an IRS representative at IRS Tax Help Line for Individuals – 800-829-1040 (TTY/TDD 800-829-4059).
What's Taking So Long? If you don't receive your refund in 21 days, your tax return might need further review. This may happen if your return was incomplete or incorrect. The IRS may send you instructions through the mail if it needs additional information in order to process your return.
No money is in sight in late June — and, frankly, the wait will take longer. The Internal Revenue Service has essentially been unable to process the paper 1040 returns that individuals filed in 2022 until it's finished processing the pileup of paperwork filed in 2021.
The IRS is paying interest on delayed refunds. From April 1 through June 30, the agency is using a 4% interest rate for individuals who face refund delays. But the rate is set to go up to 5% on July 1.