Taxpayers across the United States are experiencing extensive delays in receiving their tax refunds, with some waiting years for the return of their money.
The Internal Revenue Service often provides no explanations for the lengthy waits, raising concerns among those depending on the funds. While delays can be attributed to factors such as identity theft, filing inconsistencies or technical difficulties within the IRS‘s computer systems, taxpayers find themselves in a state of financial limbo.
Chris Horan from Virginia Beach, VA, exemplifies the struggle many face, the New York Post reported. A head of sales for a financial-services software company, Mr. Horan has been awaiting his $30,000 refund since 2022. Despite regular checks on the “Where’s My Refund” online tool provided by the IRS, the status of his return remains “being reviewed.”
“In no world would I think I’d be in April 2024 waiting for a 2022 refund,” Mr. Horan said.
The IRS has said that such long delays are not the norm but acknowledged there was been an uptick due to the mounting backlog exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. They had 686,000 individual tax returns pending processing as of Dec. 21 — the majority of which pertain to the previous tax season and are due refunds.
An additional strain comes from the 844,000 amended returns awaiting attention. With such numbers, the efficiency of the IRS‘s service has been called into question, prompting the need for taxpayers to take action beyond the basic customer service outreach. Tax advisers recommend that taxpayers take a more assertive approach to address their refund issues.
Individuals are first directed to use the “Where’s My Refund” site, which can provide some insight into the delay after inputting personal information such as Social Security or taxpayer identification numbers, filing status, and the exact refund expected.
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