Preventing A Tax Refund Offset
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Regardless of which one you choose, all of these options are better than ignoring the debt and hoping it goes away. If you’re not sure which one is best for you, a student loan lawyer may be able to help.
Filing An Incomplete Tax Return
A common cause of delayed tax return processing, leading to delayed refunds, is missing information on the return. “Failure to include basic information, such as the Social Security numbers of dependents, can significantly hold up a refund,” according to Lee E. Holland, CPA, CFP, and former IRS agent. For paper returns, failure to include copies of W-2 or 1099 forms increases processing time, as do missing forms or schedules.
When you use TurboTax to prepare your taxes, well check for common errors before you file.
Some Early Filers Won’t Get Refunds Until Mid
The law provides this additional time to help the IRS stop fraudulent refunds from being issued.
IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said in a statement Monday that the pandemic continues to create challenges. But he stressed that taxpayers can take steps to keep returns moving more smoothly.
“Filing electronically with direct deposit and avoiding a paper tax return is more important than ever this year,” Rettig said.
Taxpayers also can avoid holdups in getting their tax refunds by not moving too hastily if they received stimulus money and advance payments for the child tax credit in 2021.
“We urge extra attention to those who received an Economic Impact Payment or an advance child tax credit last year. People should make sure they report the correct amount on their tax return to avoid delays, Rettig said.
While you can file early, tax experts warn, it’s best to wait until later in the season if you do not have all the information you need to file an accurate return.
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How Do You Find Out If Your Income Tax Refund Will Be Garnished
The agency that schedules your debt for offset is supposed to send you a Pre-Offset Notice before it withholds your refund. But many people never get it because they moved and never updated their contact information.
If you didn’t get that notice, call the Treasury Offset Program at 800-304-3107. The TOP Interactive Voice Response System will use your Social Security number to verify that you are in the system. The system will play an automated message on who to call for your specific debt if your name is listed.
If you learn that your tax refund might be subject to offset, you can request an extension from the IRS to file your taxes later in the year without penalty. This will give you more time to work out what to do next to have your account removed from the program.
Earned Income Tax Credit Has New Twist
The earned Income tax credit is a potential spot for errors. The credit has been used by ID thieves who file phony returns, so the IRS must work to detect fraud.
This tax season, the earned income tax credit can be claimed on a 2020 tax return based on someone’s 2019 or 2020 income this year. The new provision was put into place when the second COVID-19 economic relief package was signed by then-President Donald Trump on Dec. 27.
Many people who lost jobs or saw reductions in pay in 2020 would have received far less EITC money if they could not take their 2019 earnings into account.
Williams, who worked as a babysitter in 2019 but didn’t work in 2020, is able to use her 2019 income to claim the earned income tax credit on the 2020 return, according to Brown, who is her tax preparer.
Her tax situation is complicated by the fact that she’s now claiming her granddaughter as a qualifying dependent in order to receive stimulus money for the child.
Amended returns for 2018 and 2019 were filed to claim the granddaughter as a dependent.
Brown said Williams meets all requirements to claim her granddaughter, and the girl’s father did not file a tax return to claim her.
“She can prove residency through school records,” Brown said. “No one claimed her on their taxes.”
Brown said the 2020 refund for Williams should have been issued by mid- or late March. The amended returns might take longer, but he’s seeing delays there, too.
She has received no information from the IRS.
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Here’s How Long It Will Take To Get Your Tax Refund In 2022
Three in four Americans receive an annual tax refund from the IRS, which often is a family’s biggest check of the year. But with this tax season now in progress, taxpayers could see a repeat of last year’s snarls in processing, when more than 30 million taxpayers had their returns and refunds held up by the IRS.
Treasury Department officials warned in January that this year’s tax season will be a challenge with the IRS starting to process returns on January 24. That’s largely due to the IRS’ sizable backlog of returns from 2021. As of December 31, the agency had 6 million unprocessed individual returns a significant reduction from a backlog of 30 million in May, but far higher than the 1 million unprocessed returns that is more typical around the start of tax season.
That may make taxpayers nervous about delays in 2022, but most Americans should get their refunds within 21 days of filing, according to the IRS. And some taxpayers are already reporting receiving their refunds, according to posts on social media.
However, so far, the typical refund is about $2,300 less than the average refund check of about $2,800 received last year. That could change as the tax season progresses, given that tens of millions of Americans have yet to file. But it could signal that taxpayers could get smaller checks this year, an issue for households already struggling with high inflation.
Tips For Getting Through Tax Season
- Taxes are just one aspect of your overall financial life. A financial advisor can help you plan your retirement, estate and optimize your tax strategy for all of your financial goals. SmartAssets free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors in your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If youre ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
- If you still need to file your taxes, make sure to consider all of your filing options. Two of the largest tax-filing services are H& R Block and TurboTax. Both are easy-to-use and offer step-by-step guidance to help you maximize your return. Check out SmartAssets comparison of TurboTax and H& R Block to see which one is better for you.
- State governments use their own systems for handling tax returns. In some states youll get your refund within a couple of days, while other states will take weeks or months for processing. Learn how to check your state tax refund status.
- If you find yourself relying on your tax refund to make ends meet, you may be able to make some changes to your tax withholding. Claiming more or fewer allowances on your W-4 will impact how much tax your employer removes from checks. Withholding less in taxes will mean more take home pay. If you receive a big refund come tax time, there may be room for you to increase your allowances.
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Tracking Your Tax Rebate
The IRS has a handy ‘Where’s My Refund‘ online tool which is updated daily, usually overnight. To log in you’ll need:
- Social security number or ITIN
- Your filing status
- Your exact refund amount
Note that this year is unusual for the IRS too, so they’re warning of covid-19 mail processing delays specifically if you’ve filed a paper tax return or have had any paper tax return related correspondence. The IRS say that they are processing all mail in the order they received it.
You should expect delays if you mailed a paper return or had to respond to an IRS inquiry about your e-filed return. You should only call if it has been:
- 21 days or more since you e-filed
- “Where’s My Refund” tells you to contact the IRS
Do not file a second tax return.
There’s also a mobile app you can use to check your tax refund status called IRS2Go, which is useful if you want the information on your refund at your fingertips.
Irs Takes On More Duties
This tax season is unlike any other.
The IRS has been handling rollouts for three stimulus programs since April 2020.
Now, the IRS is preparing to launch a way to send money each month to families who qualify for an expanded child tax credit. That effort is to begin in July.
In addition, the IRS is taking steps to automatically refund some tax money relating to jobless benefits money this spring and summer.
The follow-up refunds would apply to people who filed their tax return reporting unemployment compensation before the recent tax break for unemployment benefits was put into place as part of the American Rescue Plan.
The first special refund payouts will likely be made in May, and they will continue into the summer.
A tax rule change that excludes a portion of unemployment benefits from being included as income was signed into law March 11, roughly a month after the 2021 tax season began. Tax forms and tax software had to be updated after the season started to reflect the change.
Right now, the IRS said tax returns are opened in the order received.
“As the return is processed, it may be delayed because it has a mistake including errors concerning the Recovery Rebate Credit, is missing information, or there is suspected identity theft or fraud,” the IRS said.
“If we can fix it without contacting you, we will.
“If we need more information or need you to verify that it was you who sent the tax return, we will write you a letter.”
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What’s The Official Timetable For Refunds
Most taxpayers will receive their refund within 21 days of when they file electronically if they choose direct deposit and there are no issues with their tax return, according to the IRS.
Some tax filers are still complaining that they did not receive their refund yet from federal returns filed last year.
Rettig noted that IRS employees continue to work hard on critical areas affected by the pandemic, including processing of tax returns from last year.
Last filing season, COVID-era tax changes and pandemic challenges drove up calls. The IRS phone systems received more than 145 million calls from Jan. 1, 2021, though May 17, 2021. That was more than four times the calls than in an average year, the IRS said. Taxpayers are encouraged to go to IRS.gov first.
As of Dec. 3, the IRS has processed nearly 169 million tax returns. All paper and electronic individual 2020 refund returns received prior to April 2021 have been processed, the IRS said, if the return had no errors or did not require further review.
Taxpayers generally will not need to wait for their 2020 return to be fully processed to file their 2021 tax returns and can file when they are ready.
But taxpayers should also realize that a stressed IRS system and ongoing challenges relating to the spread of the omicron variant are likely to take a toll on this year’s tax season.
“This is frustrating for taxpayers, for IRS employees and for me, Rettig said.
If I Can Order My Irs Tax Transcript Does It Mean I Am Getting My Refund Direct Deposited Soon
This question used to come up a lot, but is not very relevant since you can request a tax transcript online via your IRS account. The transcript is free and does show processing tax codes related to progress and status of past and current tax returns.
That being said, there is a correlation in reviewing your transcript for current year IRS processing transaction codes. If you see transaction codes , it means the IRS is or has processed your tax return, and refund where applicable.
But the IRS is very clear that reviewing your transcript does not mean you will imminently be getting a refund and is among the common myths and misconceptions repeated in social media. They still say that checking the WMR website or IRS2Go app is the best and official way to check your refund status.
Tax Topic 151 vs 152 notice
When you log on to the WMR website or IRS2Go mobile app, you may be presented with a message to refer to IRS Tax topic 151 or 152 in relation to your refund. But what do these mean? Tax Topic 151 simply means that youre getting a tax adjustment due to an offset or IRS proposed adjustment.
You will get an official IRS letter or notice explaining the actual offset and adjustments to your tax return, and details on how to appeal this action but likely it will delay you getting your refund. While not great news, the silver lining here is that the IRS has processed your return and your adjusted refund should be on its way.
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Why Is It Taking So Long To Get My 2021 Tax Refund 2022 Irs Processing Backlog Causing Direct Deposit Payment Delays
When it comes to tax season I receive a lot of reader questions, many tinged with a hint of desperation, around why IRS tax refunds are taking so long to be processed and what can be done to get their money sooner rather than later.
This is no different in the current tax season where a number of folks have commented on the extended delays they are seeing with the processing of their tax returns and payment of long overdue refunds. Despite PATH limitations now having lifted, many filers are still stuck in IRS refund processing limbo.
In fact the IRS has already announced that there will likely be longer than usual tax refund payment delaysdue to processing/validation of past year and amended returns, staffing/budget constraints and the ongoing payment and reconciliation of past stimulus payments and tax credits .
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Those who filed for extensions or amended returns, will likely face even longer delays in getting any refunds and will likely see the Return Processing Has Been Delayed Beyond The Normal Timeframe WMR message.
For returns that require special handling or manual processing the IRS has said that due to staffing shortages it is taking up to 120 days to complete processing and notify taxpayers of adjustments or adjudications.
Covered in this Article:
Individual Income Tax Refunds
Check the status of your refund online using Where’s My Refund?
- Most error free, electronically filed returns are processed within 5 business days of receiving the return and most refunds are issued within 21 days from the date a taxpayer files their return.
- If a return contains incorrect or questionable information, it may take up to 90 days from the date of receipt by DOR to process a return and issue a refund.
- All first-time Georgia income tax filers, or taxpayers who have not filed in Georgia for at least five years, will receive a paper check.
- Read Georgia Tax Facts for important tax information and to learn more about what we are doing to protect Georgia taxpayers against fraud.
The surviving spouse, administrator, or executor may file a return on behalf of a taxpayer who died during the taxable year. When filing, use the same filing status and due date that was used on the Federal Income tax return.
To have a refund check in the name of the deceased taxpayer reissued, mail the following to the address on the form:
- Copy of the death certificate
- Original refund check issued in the deceaseds name
- Any other information specified on the form
Contact Us if you need additional assistance.
Lost, Stolen or Stale-dated Checks
If your refund check was lost, stolen or becomes stale-dated, Contact Us for assistance.
Name Change
To have a refund check reissued in your changed name, submit a copy of two of the following accepted documents:
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Important Notice For Tax Time
Did you know that identity theft, especially around tax season, is running rampant? People’s credit information was stolen at Target, Home Depot, even The State of California. Now’s a great time to make sure that your credit is safe.
Credit Karma: Second, now is a great time to check your credit report and make sure that there are no issues. You should be checking your credit at least once per year, and tax time is a great time to do it. We recommend using because its free! Plus, has a lot of great tools to help you improve your credit if you need to, and they can help you monitor your credit over time.
Where’s My Amended Return Refund
Because the IRS is taking more time processing amended returns, refunds will take longer, too. So be prepared for a wait.
Note: If you do have money coming as a result of an amended return, the IRS will mail you a check. The agency is not offering direct deposits for any refunds related to a Form 1040-X.
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