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What to Do About IRS Tax Return Error Notices and Customer Service Issues
In this time of unprecedented changes to tax return forms and guidance, our Chambliss Tax team has been hard at work advising and advocating for clients who are experiencing IRS-related issues including delayed refunds and incorrect error notices. In September, IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig wrote an article to address several of the challenges individual taxpayers have been facing when it comes to their tax returns and refunds. He talked about how “pandemic-related issues are still causing [the IRS] to experience record levels of activity that continue to affect operations across the agency, including the processing of tax returns and refunds.” Record activity includes “unprecedented” phone volumes, which has led them to hire an additional 1,000 customer service representatives this summer. The agency received more than 199 million calls since January of this year, which is “five times more calls than [their] normal call volume for an entire year.” They are also correcting significantly more tax return errors, the majority of which relate to the Recovery Rebate Credit. Commissioner Rettig explained, “it is taking the IRS more than the normal 21 days to issue any related refund, and in some cases this work could take 90 to 120 days.” They have already processed all error-free paper and e-filed individual tax returns submitted before April 2021.
If you are having trouble getting through to the IRS about your tax return or refund, please try the following or else contact your tax adviser.
- Check the Where’s My Refund tool regularly. The IRS telephone representatives usually will not have additional details.
- Check the Status of Operations page because it is frequently updated with progress information and steps to assist taxpayers and tax professionals.
This quick update is brought to you by Chambliss’ Tax Department Manager Rachel Ragghianti, CPA, and the tax team.
*The above information was derived from a Thomson Reuters / Tax & Accounting update.
