We mailed the 2019 tax return (the form 1040 and a check $270) to the IRS office on 3/3/2020. IRS cashed the check on 3/5/2020. However, when we logged in the account today, it said no return was filed for 2019, but it did mention the payment of $270 was received.
What can we do to correct this? If we need to file the 2019 tax again, is it considered a late filing with a penalty?
Where are you checking for the filed tax return?
The IRS website for checking the status of a federal tax refund is Only for refunds - https://www.irs.gov/refunds
The IRS website for a federal tax transcript will only be available if the IRS has processed your tax return - https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript
Due to the pandemic and the limited staffing at the IRS millions of tax returns have yet to be processed. Your check being cashed for the taxes owed indicates the IRS received your tax return so there will be no late payment penalty.
If you owed tax then it will never be on the IRS refund site. That is only for refunds.
Sorry, I didn't mention clearly.
We were checking the Transcript account. When we clicked the 2019 record, it showed a letter and mentioned that no tax return was filed. But from the Wage and Income Transcript, it did mention of the $270.
The IRS is very slow this year to process mailed returns because they did not open mail at all for about 14 weeks due to the COVID-19 shutdown. They are way backlogged so it might take a while to process. The fact that they cashed your attached check proves that they received and opened it. The IRS mail room separates (and deposits) checks and then forwards the return to data entry clerks to enter into the processing system.
I would not worry about if for a month or two.
We made a phone call this morning, and the representative told us to wait till end of Sept to check the transcript again.
Since we need the transcript for another legal process, he said they could do something as a proof of filing after Sept.
I am also in the same situation as the person whos question you answered. On my IRS account page I get this notice, see below. We filed on July 10 and our check was cashed, is it your understanding that they are still behind in processing these returns. It has now been four full months since we mailed in our return, my fear is an audit is coming my way. Thank you
Your 2019 Tax Return Is Not Processed
When you mail in a return with a payment the check goes to one department and gets posted and the return to another.
As already mentioned ... due to the reduced staffing in the wake of the covid shut down certain things needed to be prioritized so stimulus checks and returns with refunds had priority. Returns that have balance dues were put on the back burner ... so once they are processed thru the system the transcript will be updated and there is nothing you can do to speed up the process.
And if you filed a true and accurate return then you don't need to fear getting audited as you have nothing to hide since you filed a correct return.
I am assuming I filed it correctly, Turbo Tax indicated it was good to go. So I will just assume its not posted on my account because of the back logs. Thank you for your reply.
Ditto here: I filed April 5 or so and they cashed a $5000.00 check but there is no record of either acknowledgment of return or the proceeds sent. Paper return, T-tax would not let me file electronically for some strange reason. Overall we paid nearly 13,000 in taxes. I would like to have some receipt of that. Not too long ago it could have been my yearly earnings.
By not too long ago, you probably mean fifty years ago. Back then that was a lot of money.
register at the IRS website and get a transcript either online or by mail. for online you'll need a printer.
https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript
or view your account
https://www.irs.gov/payments/view-your-tax-account
Your receipt of payment to the IRS are the tax reporting forms that are issued like a W-2 or the cashed checks or bank/CC statements or the read out from paying the IRS online. A processed tax return is not a receipt of any kind of payment.
Balance due returns have been put to the bottom of the pile and will be processed eventually.
I'm following this because we are still waiting for our 2019 return to be processed and transcript posted, here almost at the end of January 2021! After several calls to the IRS they keep telling us the same thing .. "we were shut down for several months ... short on staff ... paper returns that came with a payment will be processed last"
dead last evidently. We need our transcript for an investment property loan. Now IRS won't be accepting e file returns for 2020 until Feb. 12th and I wouldn't be surprised if that gets pushed back again.
Usually they want to see the return and the proof of filing ... the return doesn't need to actually be processed.
See if the mortgage company will accept a paper return with your ink signature on it along with the filing history report and/or the email you got for acceptance. Your return's electronic filing status history records all e-filing activity related to the return, including the Electronic Postmark is part of the PDF you can download.
Since they cashed your check maybe a copy of the cancelled check with the signed return will work.
Or get the ACCOUNT TRANSCRIPT from the IRS also showing the payment.
We mailed our return in May and our check was cashed on 5/21/20. Our transcript says the same. Now our sons college loans are in jeopardy because we have no filed taxes per the transcript.
@rkirby53 wrote:
We mailed our return in May and our check was cashed on 5/21/20. Our transcript says the same. Now our sons college loans are in jeopardy because we have no filed taxes per the transcript.
The IRS was shut down for 4 months because of COVID-19 and truckloads of unopened mail was stored. The are still trying to catch up with the backlog.
Following because of the same situation. Filed our 2019 Federal tax return on July 15th 2020 by mail with a check where we owed them money. The check was cashed on July 17th and the Transcript states that no tax has been filed for 2019, however it does show the payment amount. I also have a copy of the cancelled/cashed check from our bank and it shows deposited to US Treasury. We are also in the middle of a refi with a mortgage lender and fear that this will delay us and possible lose our lock-in rate if settlement gets delayed.
Guess I’m in the same boat. Mailed in taxes with payment on July 2, last year, my check was cleared July 10th. Got my transcript, says, “return not present for this account.” Now, I’m unable to e-file with turbo tax because my return was rejected. Says my AGI does not match last years amount. So now I have to mail my returns and pray I get my refund. I think this is also the reason I did not get the second stimulus payment, which I badly needed.
@WilliamWV wrote:
Guess I’m in the same boat. Mailed in taxes with payment on July 2, last year, my check was cleared July 10th. Got my transcript, says, “return not present for this account.” Now, I’m unable to e-file with turbo tax because my return was rejected. Says my AGI does not match last years amount. So now I have to mail my returns and pray I get my refund. I think this is also the reason I did not get the second stimulus payment, which I badly needed.
Since the IRS has not processed your 2019 tax return for the 2020 tax return enter a 0 (zero) for the 2019 AGI to e-file.
Sounds like a negligence claim to me (duty. breach of duty, damage, and a nexus between the breach and the damage). I was also in the middle of a HEL and its a good thing they accepted my copy of the 2019 return. I never received second stimulus.
DoninGA, Are you sure putting in $0 for 2019 AGI will work? I sure hope so. And WilliamWV, regarding the second stimulus, yes this is why you did not get it, as I also did not get mine. What they are saying is if you did not receive your second stimulus you can recoup it by filing your 2020 taxes and there is a place to make note of this and get it as a tax credit that would be added to your refund. I am also assuming that if you owe money then the stimulus credit would reduce the amount of any money owed.
The IRS and Treasury have issued all first and second Economic Impact Payments.
If you didn’t get any Economic Impact Payments or got less than the full amounts, you may qualify for the Recovery Rebate Credit and must file a 2020 tax return to claim the credit even if you don’t normally file.
We're also having the same issue. I filed 2017, 2018 & 2019 by mail back in June 2020. I owed for 2017 & 2018 which they cashed immediately, but haven't processed yet. I was owed ~$1500 refund for 2019 which I have yet to see, and have not received either of the two stimulus payments. Now my 2020 e-file is not going through because they haven't processed my 2019 return. I've spent 8+ hours dialing every option on the menu and can't get hold of a human!