It’s no secret this tax season is going to be messy- the IRS is starting the season off with a MAJOR backlog! There is a backlog of at least 10 million unprocessed returns from last year. By comparison, the IRS usually enters the tax-filing season with fewer than 1 million remaining items to address. While the “normal” processing time for the agency has historically been 45 days, it is estimated that it’s actually running close to six months or longer. On top of the backlog of unprocessed returns, the IRS also has a backlog of nearly 5 million pieces of taxpayer correspondence. Here are a few steps you can take to make sure you avoid delays this year.
- Register for your IRS.gov account
- Avoid paper returns when possible
- File electronically with direct deposit
- Don’t send paper checks, instead process any payments online
- It’s more important than ever that you’re filing an accurate tax return
It is ESSENTIAL that you register for your IRS.gov account. It is a safe and easy way for you to view specific details about your federal tax account. It has easy to use tools and is available to use 24 hours a day. You can view:
- Recovery Rebate Credit / Economic Impact Payments if you received any
- The balance for each tax year for which you owe taxes
- Advance Child Tax Credit payments
- Your payment history
- Interactive Tax Assistant
- Key information from your most current tax return as originally filed
- The status of your refund check
- Payment plan details if you have one, including your payoff amount
- Digital copies of select IRS notices
- Your address on file
Please use the buttons below to register for your IRS.gov account. We’ve also included a button below that will take you to a guide on how to register for your account.