IRS cashed the payment check but no tax return was received?

[SandraandRay2]

Did you happen to mail in your 2019 tax return, if so, yours and millions of others are probably sitting on someone's desk, waiting to be processed, but they deposited those checks, right away.  So put "0" as previous AGI.

[Thomasg621]

They finally have posted my 2019 taxes. I am all up to date with them now 

[chepukha]

It's filing date now (5/17/21) and my 2019 filing had not been processed yet. 

I had to file by mail last year because we had some paperwork changed but IRS got my file and cashed my check in 7/2020. But their transcript says my return had not been received.

As the result, I can't e-file this year as AGI number doesn't match :(

[mesquitebean]

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@ chepukha wrote:

It's filing date now (5/17/21) and my 2019 filing had not been processed yet. 

I had to file by mail last year because we had some paperwork changed but IRS got my file and cashed my check in 7/2020. But their transcript says my return had not been received.

As the result, I can't e-file this year as AGI number doesn't match :(

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This is a common problem because so many 2019 returns were either processed late or still haven't finished processing.    In that case, when efiling your 2020 return, you can use a 2019 AGI of 0 (zero) to verify.

If it's a joint return, then both spouses would use the 2019 AGI of 0.

[DoninGA]

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@chepukha wrote:

It's filing date now (5/17/21) and my 2019 filing had not been processed yet. 

I had to file by mail last year because we had some paperwork changed but IRS got my file and cashed my check in 7/2020. But their transcript says my return had not been received.

As the result, I can't e-file this year as AGI number doesn't match :(

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Since the IRS has not processed your 2019 tax return, enter a 0 (zero) for the 2019 AGI so that you can e-file the 2020 tax return.

[chepukha]

Thank you @mesquitebean,

I tried that. It was straightforward to change my AGI to $0. But for my spouse, after I changed to $0 and continue to e-file, Turbo told me it needed to verify some info about my spouse. It then presented me with the following questions:

1. I have X's 2019 tax return
2. I have or will get X's 2019 transcript from the IRS website
3. I can't get X's 2019 tax return
4. X didn't file last year
5. X didn't file, but Trang used the IRS tool to get the stimulus payment

Option 4, 5 are not suitable. If I choose option 3, it gives me following options, none of which works:

• Request a 2019 IRS Transcript
• Print and file by mail
• Use the 5-digit self-select PIN that was created last year

If I chose option 2, it asks me to request IRS for the transcript, which won't work as IRS didn't processed my file.

The only option left is option 1 (I have X's tax return). If I choose this one, Turbotax requests that I confirm this

"I confirm this number is:
   * on X's 2019 return.
   * line 8b from Trang's 1040 or the adjusted gross income on X's IRS transcript.
   * the correct number."

should I confirm that since $0 is not the actual number that appeared on my 2019 return? 

Thanks,

[chepukha]

Just want to confirm that it did work for me. IRS accepted my return. I guess it's only used by IRS to automatically verify a user. It doesn't matter much what you enter as long as the system accepts your return. 

Thanks for your help.

[mesquitebean]

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@chepukha  wrote:

Just want to confirm that it did work for me. IRS accepted my return. I guess it's only used by IRS to automatically verify a user. It doesn't matter much what you enter as long as the system accepts your return. 

Thanks for your help.

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Good news!  You're welcome.

  Yes, you could use Option 1, and then enter a 2019 AGI of 0 since the IRS computer does not yet know the 2019 AGI in its database since your 2019 return has not been processed. 

Option 4 (didn't file last year) while technically not correct, would have worked, too, since it would have fooled TurboTax into using a 2019 AGI of 0.   If one tells TurboTax they didn't file a 2019 return, it would enter a 2019 AGI of 0 automatically in the background.

[Delta74]

Good luck getting through to the IRS. I am a paid tax preparer and can not even get through on the practitioner priority line. I got one for ya. My friend hasn't filed his tax returns on time in I don't know how long. In May of 2020 he asked if I could take a look at his finances and help him with his back taxes, the last return he had filed was 2015 and he filed that in 2018. My deal with him was we were going to prepare and file all his past returns and current return 2016-2019 all at once and be done with it. It took me several months to get through all his finances and sort everything and prepare returns which had to be mailed of course.  he owed over 16,000 which we sent in two envelopes 2016, 2017 in one with a check for both of their taxes owed and a second envelope with 2018, and 2019 in a second envelope with a check for those two years taxes owed.  They cashed the two checks immediately. Last week he got a stimulus check for the third payment and a bill for taxes due on his 2019 return. His tax account shows that his 2016, 2017, 2018 returns are not filed.  I cant get through to anyone. I have advised him that we should not ignore the notice and if I can not reach anyone we will send a detailed letter with at least a small payment. what happened to his money? It hasnt been applied to any of his accounts. I et being behind but this is ridiculous.

[chepukha]

Thanks for the info, @Delta74.

Do you or anyone here know how to follow up with IRS on unprocessed tax return like this? I tried to call them at [phone number removed] to see why my 2019 was not processed but there's no option to talk to anyone. Also, the option to check status of your return only works if you're supposed to get money back. If you owe IRS, it won't work as the system requires you to enter a positive number. 

Which number do you call them? or which email address to write them?

Thanks,

[Delta74]

I've called every number I have at my disposal. The numbers on the back of the balance due notice, the practitioners' priority line, I've never seen it this bad. I get sending out stimulus payments, and tax credits to help America but right smack in the middle of tax season., The politicians sure didn't think this through very well.  I going to try for a few more days to get through, them I am sending a certified letter with a small payment and copies of the cancelled checks they cashed. They got all the returns, they had to open two separate envelopes to get the checks. I even left detailed notes attached to the returns in the envelopes inside another envelope with the checks. What I have been reading through research is that the checks go to one place for depositing and the returns to another for processing. I really think they need a better system.  

[Delta74]

@chepukha, 

  The best advice I can give you is to try and continue to be patient, being stressed out isn't going to make them get processed any faster, I promise you that you are not alone in your frustrations.  I do understand that some of us depend on our refunds to get through hard times, try and be well. 

[Thomasg621]

My first post on this subject went up in February, they had rejected our attempt to eFile our 2020 taxes.   I spent 3 weeks trying to figure out how to get my taxes to electronically file.  The rejection was always the same, AGI does not match.  It did not match because they, the IRS, had not posted my 2019 taxes, they had cashed our payment check but did not complete the taxes.  This was due to the Covid outbreak spreading across all sectors of the country.  It was here on this forum in March that someone posted put 0 in for my adjusted gross income for 2019.  It worked and they, the IRS allowed my 2020 taxes to go through electronically.  The reason it worked was I put 0 in for my AGI and for my wife's AGI as we were filing jointly.  We got our 2020 refund sent to our bank account in early April after filing in March.  I spent several months trying to help others by telling them to use the 0 trick.  Its not a trick really its a computer common sense thing.  You see when you file electronically the IRS uses your previous years AGI as a check mark to ensure they are receiving something from the actual person who sent in the taxes for the previous tax year.  In this case in order to accept the 2020 they needed the filer of 2019 to give them information only they would most likely know, the AGI for 2019.  But because of covid and the back log there was no 2019 on file or in the system for my SSN or name and address... thus the computer rejected the 2020 filing.  By putting 0 in the AGI the IRS computer reverts to a default mode of "This 2020 filing must be the first time this filer has filed" and it accepts the 2020.  My 2019 has since be completed and my IRS account is now completely up to day with the previous 5 years of taxes. So this is my last response to any and all inquiries about the 2019 and 2020 tax debacle we all have had to endure.  Good Luck To Everyone out there still trying to figure out when happened. 

[Thomasg621]

Hold tight, mine was just done, I got through and they are expecting to have all of the 2019 taxes completed by the middle of June or the first of July at the latest.  Just keep checking you IRS account it will show up, ours did, two weeks ago.

[JohnChastain]

After 3 weeks of trying the "AGI 0" trick, Turbo Tax finally told me that my 2020 electronic return was accepted on March 30. The IRS site says that E-filed refunds are usually issued within 21 days.... and it's now May 18.

When I owed taxes for 2019, IRS cashed my paper check within 6 days, then "processed" the paper return 14 months later (in May 2020).

What's their excuse this year? Still the pandemic?