Early filers are experiencing a tax refund delay in 2021.
Tax season is in full swing and Americans are filing their taxes quickly to receive a refund after one of the hardest years of their lifetime. Due to a struggling economy and global pandemic, many families are now relying on their tax refunds to help them catch up on bills and avoid eviction in many severe cases.
While Americans were urged to file early this tax season, those that did seem to be stuck in some type of never-ending loop. They wake up every morning to yet another Groundhog’s Day where they check their tax transcript or the Where’s My Refund tool only to see that nothing has changed or been updated.
With the upcoming third stimulus on its way, it was important for Americans to file their taxes to update their income and dependent status before receiving their third check.
“I filed our taxes on January 30, 2021 through Turbo Tax. My return was accepted by the IRS on February 12th. I claimed the child tax credits, as well as the earned income credit. We already received the first two stimulus checks and used our 2020 income on our taxes,” one mother has said on Reddit.
“It’s been over 21 days and I still have no answers as to when I’ll get my refund.”
She’s like many others who have received no information as to why they haven’t received their refund.
The IRS began to accept refunds on February 12th. We were informed that those claiming certain credits wouldn’t start being processed until February 22nd, and that refunds would be sent out the first week of March for those with earned income credits and child tax credits.
But many families that filed early and were accepted by the IRS between 2/9-2/13 are being left in the dark about their refunds. 21 days have passed without a refund or any information about when they’ll get a refund, or if there is an issue with their return.
This has left many people calling the IRS – but nobody seems to be able to get a straight answer as to what happened to the many who are now stuck in limbo.
Meanwhile many others who recently filed their taxes have been receiving their refunds right away.
Are the early filers delayed because they used the look back option, because Turbo Tax messed up on their recovery rebate credits, or simply because the IRS needs more time to process returns this year? These are some of the floating theories that are going around in online communities.
Reddit forums and Facebook groups are filled with questions as to why they can’t get any real answers as to why their refunds are delayed. Many people are trying to reach out to tax advocates or representatives for their cities after not getting adequate information from calling the IRS.
The IRS is telling early filers that their refunds are in the “errors department” and may take anywhere from a few days until 10 weeks before they see their money. When they call back, they get a completely different answer the second and third time around.
What’s really going on? Nobody can seem to give early filers a legitimate answer as to why they haven’t seen their money after 4 weeks, while others who filed at the beginning of March already have received their refunds.
Luckily for most early filers, Congress has passed the American Rescue Plan so there is some relief in sight with President Biden set to sign the package into law on Friday.
Many are hoping to at least see their stimulus checks in the near future. They are also worried that this will delay their tax refunds even further as the IRS switches gears to send out stimulus checks.
The IRS is leaving many struggling Americans in the dark this tax season when they are hurting more than ever before.
Americans should be able to rely on the government at times like this. They should be able to get answers as to why their money has been delayed.
Families who file early typically are the ones who are struggling the most. With many on the cusp of being evicted or having to choose between feeding their families or paying their bills, they need answers.
The IRS needs to issue a statement addressing the delay. It’s one thing to delay sending refunds to Americans – but leaving them in the dark about it is not acceptable.
Have you received your refund yet? When did you file?
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