How to talk to someone at IRS..about 2020 return

M

Marybell

Member
Sorry It is not a truly legal question. However:
Filed 2020 return on time. Had to send it on paper coz the program couldn't verify my previous year AGI even though it was checked over a million times and was correct.
When i was checking the status, after awhile it was showing "IRS received your return". Then at some point I saw "Your return has been processed but payment isn't sent to you". Then i was able to talk to someone at IRS on the phone and was told that receiving payment will take like a couple of months.. It was ages ago..
Right now, If I check the status of my 2020 return, it says "Check all the information once again" so basically no status is found
Their phone menu is tricky, it won't let you thru. It says "Check our website for any previous returns"
(yes, I claimed for both an earned income tax credit and an additional child tax credit)
I haven't received any mail from IRS asking me to provide additional documentation
Any suggestions?
 
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Marybell said:
Sorry It is not a truly legal question. However:
Filed 2020 return on time. Had to send it on paper coz the program couldn't verify my previous year AGI even though it was checked over a million times and was correct.
When i was checking the status, after awhile it was showing "IRS received your return". Then at some point I saw "Your return has been processed but payment isn't sent to you". Then i was able to talk to someone at IRS on the phone and was told that receiving payment will take like a couple of months.. It was ages ago..
Right now, If I check the status of my 2020 return, it says "Check all the information once again" so basically no status is found
Their phone menu is tricky, it won't let you thru. It says "Check our website for any previous returns"
(yes, I claimed for both an earned income tax credit and an additional child tax credit)
I haven't received any mail from IRS asking me to provide additional documentation
Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

I'm tagging @Tax Counsel who is a tax attorney and has worked for the IRS. Perhaps he can offer guidance on how to get a human on the line at the IRS.
 
Marybell said:
Sorry It is not a truly legal question.
Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

There are couple of things to try. You can sign up with the IRS to view your account information online. You can do that here: Your Online Account | Internal Revenue Service
Note that at the bottom of the page it provides links for getting transcripts by mail. That would not require you to sign up for an online account. The transcripts are useful to see what the IRS has done on the account.

You may also contact the taxpayer advocate service (TAS). Start by looking at the information on the taxpayer advocate home page; it has links for topics like tracking down your refund, which may be useful. Otherwise, click on the link for getting help from TAS.

If you live near an IRS field office, you may be able to go there and meet with a taxpayer service representative in person to find out what is going on.
 
Tax Counsel said:
There are couple of things to try. You can sign up with the IRS to view your account information online. You can do that here: Your Online Account | Internal Revenue Service
Note that at the bottom of the page it provides links for getting transcripts by mail. That would not require you to sign up for an online account. The transcripts are useful to see what the IRS has done on the account.

You may also contact the taxpayer advocate service (TAS). Start by looking at the information on the taxpayer advocate home page; it has links for topics like tracking down your refund, which may be useful. Otherwise, click on the link for getting help from TAS.

If you live near an IRS field office, you may be able to go there and meet with a taxpayer service representative in person to find out what is going on.
Click to expand...
Tax Council, thank you!
In the past, I tried to use TAS, however received no response at all. Phone calls werenot answered or returned, they also wanted me to submit a form which I did, and still never heard back
No field office near me
I will try creating at online account with IRS
 
I created an account.. Where do i look further? Got transcripts.
it says (in 2020)
ACCOUNT BALANCE: - xxxx.xx (negative here)
ACCRUED INTEREST: 0.00 AS OF: Jun. 06, 2022
ACCRUED PENALTY: 0.00 AS OF: Jun. 06, 2022
 
Marybell said:
that's right. Been there, had no result (about a year or more ago with my another return). There was a local office I was referred to. No result at all. But I could try again, in case something changed...
Click to expand...
Try again. Many companies/Gov. Offices had COVID related staffing issues which may be resolved now...so try again.
 
Marybell said:
I created an account.. Where do i look further? Got transcripts.
it says (in 2020)
ACCOUNT BALANCE: - xxxx.xx (negative here)
ACCRUED INTEREST: 0.00 AS OF: Jun. 06, 2022
ACCRUED PENALTY: 0.00 AS OF: Jun. 06, 2022
Click to expand...

Ok, so there was nothing owed on it, which we'd expect. But what you want to see is the transcript with the account details, e.g. date return filed, date that the tax was assessed and the amount of the tax, the credits on the return, and if there were excess credits, you should see one or more lines near the end indicating what was done with the excess -- issued a refund, offset to some other tax year, offset to child support owed, etc.
 
Marybell said:
that's right. Been there, had no result (about a year or more ago with my another return). There was a local office I was referred to. No result at all. But I could try again, in case something changed...
Click to expand...

Keep trying, please don't stop trying.
The IRS advocacy program endeavors to advocate on the behalf of taxpayers in distress.
The IRS has a huge backlog, due in part to Covid, employee problems because of Covid, and it's antiquated computer system.
 
army judge said:
Keep trying, please don't stop trying.
The IRS advocacy program endeavors to advocate on the behalf of taxpayers in distress.
The IRS has a huge backlog, due in part to Covid, employee problems because of Covid, and it's antiquated computer system.
Click to expand...
antiquated computer system?!? we send tons of military equipment abroad but can't have a modern system for IRS? truly interesting!
 
Tax Counsel said:
Ok, so there was nothing owed on it, which we'd expect. But what you want to see is the transcript with the account details, e.g. date return filed, date that the tax was assessed and the amount of the tax, the credits on the return, and if there were excess credits, you should see one or more lines near the end indicating what was done with the excess -- issued a refund, offset to some other tax year, offset to child support owed, etc.
Click to expand...
honestly, its still "clear as mud"
Processed on 11/22/2021
 

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It was processed in November of 2021. I moved to a different address in the same city in October of 2021. I didn't not request a refund by a check, but in case they mailed a check, I had mail forwarding up to this moment (for a year since moving)
 
Marybell said:
antiquated computer system?!? we send tons of military equipment abroad but can't have a modern system for IRS? truly interesting!
Click to expand...

I wish it weren't true, alas it is true.

Our IRS computers run on 50 to 60 year old COBOL programs.

I have come to believe the systems are archaic and dilapidated by choice, not chance.

Our military systems were revamped and are now 21st century swift and solid.

Heck, even AMTRAK and the USPS modernized their systems.

IRS running on antiquated computer systems

40 Years of Failure: IRS Unable to Fix Computer System - Americans for Tax Reform

Bloomberg - Are you a robot?

NTA Blog: Antiquated Technology Poses Risk to Tax Administration - TAS

The IRS System Processing Your Taxes is Almost 60 Years Old

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/interactive/2022/irs-pipeline-tax-return-delays/

The IRS Has the Mother of All Nightmare Legacy Systems
...
 
army judge said:
I wish it weren't true, alas it is true.

Our IRS computers run on 50 to 60 year old COBOL programs.

I have come to believe the systems are archaic and dilapidated by choice, not chance.
...
Click to expand...

Largely the choice of Congress, though some mistakes by IRS executives played a role too. As one Congressional staffer told me years ago "Members of Congress don't get votes for giving lots of money to the IRS." Hence, Congress has not been willing to foot the bill for the cost that the upgrade would cost if done right.
 
Marybell said:
honestly, its still "clear as mud"
Processed on 11/22/2021
Click to expand...

It was not the form of transcript I was expecting to see. Unfortunately what you have provided here only suggests to me that no refund has been issued, but no reason why it has not been issued. The one nugget of information that may point to the problem is that there evidently was no tax on the return as the total credits equal the refund amount and there is an indication that the earned income credit (EIC) was claimed. If this refund is indeed due to the EIC that can sometimes create problems. The IRS gives extra attention to EIC claims because of heat they have received from Congress for issuing EIC refunds when they should not have been issued.
 
Tax Counsel said:
It was not the form of transcript I was expecting to see. Unfortunately what you have provided here only suggests to me that no refund has been issued, but no reason why it has not been issued. The one nugget of information that may point to the problem is that there evidently was no tax on the return as the total credits equal the refund amount and there is an indication that the earned income credit (EIC) was claimed. If this refund is indeed due to the EIC that can sometimes create problems. The IRS gives extra attention to EIC claims because of heat they have received from Congress for issuing EIC refunds when they should not have been issued.
Click to expand...
Thank you! if you tell me exactly which transcript to download, I will do it.
It was a year when my AGI dropped by a lot, due to death in the family, covid /unemployment, etc. You are right, the refund isn't what I overpaid, its due to EIC and possibly a child credit?
I carefully filled out tax forms.. answered all the question they asked, never lied. My W2 (from which I am eligible for the EIC) is not the one that can be questioned...I work for a public institution funded by local taxes. Not self employed
The return was "processed". Doesn't processed mean that someone looked over it and approved? I mean, they decided they wanted to give people this credits... and people didn't make any mistakes in tax forms (I would expect a request for additional documents, if so).. I just hope that I didn't miss any communication from IRS after I moved to my new address.
My 2021 return is very similar (besides unemployment)... I was getting a refund due to EIC and child credit. Got it very fast.
 
Its an unpleasant situation when you have a child going to college and you are supposed to use your tax return form, and you have no idea what going on with your tax return because there is "no info found on the IRS website" (if you look up Where is my 2020 refund)
 

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