2019 Non Filer Form Mistake

[TarheelEd]

Yep, I did the same.  It looks like a lot of people did. I'm praying the IRS realizes this and implements a workaround for us so we can efile.

It would help us get our refunds faster and save the irs a LOT of paper returns. 

In the meantime, since they arent currently accepting paper returns anyway, I think I'm just gonna wait and hope and pray.

[runorwalk]

1. But if we file by mail, do we send 1040x?

2, How do we explain that we did "non-filer" form merely to get our checking account numbers to IRS?  (I did this in error, before there was an IRS website tool for it, through TurboTax. Why? because the press was reporting that Turbotax had agreed with IRS to create this tool, just for us to get our checking account info in--but when I tried to use it, it was instead a non-filer form! Later, the IRS website itself added a way to update your bank account number only--which is what I needed to do originally. I should have waited, but I thought Turbo was the "official" way.)

3. Is there a way to let IRS know, make them aware that this is a widespread problem? It looks like many other filers did this same error. I think if/when IRS realizes this error is common--they might create a system for it specifically. Or maybe Turbotax can communicate this issue to IRS?  (For instance, IRS could create a procedure to simply accept the new return electronically and ignore the "non-filer" one? That would be less work for IRS to allow this, because otherwise they will get flooded with paper tax returns due to this issue. I'm worried paper returns may create audits for us, when we were merely trying to get our checking account info to IRS.)

4. Is it possible that IRS could create a procedure for this? Govt is making special processes quickly, on the fly, these days, very quickly. It would be great if IRS could address this issue.

As an expert, can you help us figure out the above inter-related issues? If we all call Turbo's help line, they will eventually see this pattern of the mistaken non-filers, but it may be too late. Any help would be appreciated by a big group of people.

Thanks for reading!!

[TarheelEd]

I'm not an expert but the above scenario you laid out ie. the irs provides some workaround for our problem ... is what I'm waiting on.

The alternative is to go ahead and prepare a 1040 or 1040x(depending on which narrative you choose to believe) and mail it. But ... they arent accepting paper returns now. So you're just mailing it to a shed in Antarctica basically ...which is already packed to the rafters.

And here's what will happen if I DO mail off a return: the minute I drop it into the mailbox I'll go online just to realize that the irs JUST THAT MOMENT .... provided guidance for us allowing us to efile.

That's probably naive if me to think but 50 years on this earth has taught me that many times its prudent to simply "wait and see."

If nothing has changed by july 14 then yes, I'll send it off.

It may seem like that's the stance of someone who needs to pay but its not; I'm actually expecting a return of nearly 5k.

In the meantime I'm waiting.

[Npullin251]

i filed and was turned down and filed for stimulus. how do i just cancel filing federal and just file stimulus

[runorwalk]

I'm going to call Turbotax and TRY to direct their attention to how many people have this issue. There should be a way to cancel the prior filing with IRS due to this stimulus confusion. If major media or a pro-active congressperson would pick up the problem it would help. I really need to file because I was planning to buy a house and need to show my income has gone up from 2018. 

Turbotax/Intuit are already being investigated for trying to hide their "free file" option (where they've partnered with the IRS to offer free filing to low-income people). Propublica discovered and reported on this and Elizabeth Warren requested the IRS and the Fed Trade Commission to look into the issue:

https://www.propublica.org/article/senior-irs-leaders-launch-review-of-partnership-with-turbotax-and...

So if any of these agencies, press or congresspeople would bring attention to our problem, we might get somewhere. 

I'm going to wait and hope for an e-file solution, too. But I'll also try to see if I can get someone at Turbotax to care and work on a fix. If I should have any luck, or find a "workaround" I will post here.

[runorwalk]

Don't feel bad @chaiwolf , lots of people didn't understand. When I got my confirmation from Turbotax, they didn't say thanks for submitting your tax return for 2019. Instead, their email said "Your electronic stimulus submission was accepted by the IRS." So that made me think I did the right thing -- gave my checking info to the IRS for stimulus deposit. Turbotax is not known for being clear and upfront. Maybe we should start calling them "TroubleTax" 🙂

[TarheelEd]

This:

I'm going to call Turbotax and TRY to direct their attention to how many people have this issue. There should be a way to cancel the prior filing with IRS due to this stimulus confusion. If major media or a pro-active congressperson would pick up the problem it would help.

...is the kind of "win win" I'm hoping for. The irs should respond if they are sincere about their new PEOPLE FIRST INITIATVE  

Godspeed runkorwalk!!!!

[runorwalk]

I just discovered this -- The IRS allows businesses to file a new tax return by checking a "Supercede" box. That gets their first tax return tossed out, and the later one becomes the "real" tax form. 

Individuals don't have the "Supercede" option, so we have to mail paper returns. 

So there IS a process IRS has to allow for a new return to be e-filed in place of the old, but it's only for businesses right now. They need to just add this same feature for individuals!

https://taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/news/NTA_Blog_The_Value_of_a_Superseding_Tax_Return?category=Tax%20...

"For business entities, this process should work relatively smoothly because superseding corporation and partnership returns may be e-filed by checking the superseding return box on the electronic submission."

"For individuals, the process takes longer. Superseding individual returns (Forms 1040) must be filed on paper and mailed to an IRS processing center. Paper returns are subject to processing delays and a greater risk of transcription errors. As the IRS processing centers were closed to protect the health of employees, documents sent to the IRS through the mail were not being opened."

Now, how can we tell them this? LOL That's the hard part!

[TarheelEd]

Wow that's a good find. I had no idea.

Paper returns are subject to processing delays and a greater risk of transcription errors.

... and that is the case always, regardless of coronavirus or otherwise.

The IRS should abolish paper altogether ... their words explain why. Slow and error ridden 

[carrielee88]

I hope this didn't happen to anyone on this forum discussion from last year:

Using the Turbotax Stimulus tool is now preventing me from getting my 3rd stimulus check in 2021. Is there anyone at Turbotax who cares enough to help? Details:

After using your tool, which instead of being a true "stimulus tool" as it was named and promoted/advertised), the tool actually submitted a tax return with $1 income. This becomes clear at the end of the process using the Stimulus Tool. 

This caused the IRS to *not accept (reject)* my "real" tax return when I tried to submit it --because I made more than $1 in 2019. Turbotax notified me by email tha the "real" return was rejected and told me I must file 1040x by mail, which I did. (I was hoping Turbo would make arrangements with IRS to let those of us who used their "Stimulus Tool, to submit the 1040x online. (There were many rules and procedures changed due to Covid, so I was hoping that adding an electronic option for 1040x would be one of them. This would have saved the IRS from processing all these paper returns.)

But the rule stayed the same, send 1040x only by mail and wait until the backlog was processed by IRS. I mailed my 1040x prepared on Turbotax for free, and immediately paid my tax amount due to the IRS. I checked the IRS website a few days later--and they did indeed receive my tax payment for 2019. I thought all was well.

But they set aside my 1040x I just found out, after contacting them by phone. I had not received Stimulus 3, so I felt something was wrong. (I received the other stimulus payments only a few days after they were signed into law last year.) 

IRS rep said the 1040x was the wrong form to use. I should have used a plain 1040--(even though that form was rejected online.) I don't know why they cannot simply process 1040x--becasue it was a logical form for me to use under the ever-changing rules from last summer. And the 1040x was the correct path, according to Turbotax as well. 

So now I don't know when I'll see my 3rd stimulus, because IRS has my 1040x, but won't process unless I send a 1040. I am being penalized because I used the Trubotax Stimulus Tool. (A few days after I used it in 2020--the IRS made their own tool!!!! But I had already used the "trustworthy" tool from the "experts" at Turbotax!

Bottom line, Turbotax used the wrong method to send our stimulus (direct deposit account numbers) to the IRS disguised as a tax return for $1. This caused all this delay for me. I may never get my 1400 3rd stimulus. Or I might be able to apply for it next year -- with my 20210 taxes (not 20200. This places me in a horrible financial situation. It could have been prevented if Turbotax had coordinated their tool with the IRS--or if Turbo had not taken it upon themselves to make their own tool. I'm sure the IRS direct tool, made available a week or two later--worked just fine.  

Is there anything Turbotax can do to get the IRS to process the form they have in their hands (my 1040x), so that I won't have to send them the same info on a 1040 form, and wait more than a year to possible get my $1400 3rd stimulus?

I am going to try calling IRS again and maybe a different rep will give ma a different option, but I doubt it will work. 

Turbotax-Intuit please help!!!! You've already lost a class action about charging filers for free services--don't let this end up in the courts as well. I'm sure there are many in my position.

I don't know if I can trust Turbotax in future, if they leave all of us who used their Stimulus Tool hanging like this!

[#11]

Using the Turbotax Stimulus tool is now preventing me from getting my 3rd stimulus check in 2021. Is there anyone at Turbotax who cares enough to help? Details:

After using your tool, which instead of being a true "stimulus tool" as it was named and promoted/advertised), the tool actually submitted a tax return with $1 income. This becomes clear at the end of the process using the Stimulus Tool. 

This caused the IRS to *not accept (reject)* my "real" tax return when I tried to submit it --because I made more than $1 in 2019. Turbotax notified me by email tha the "real" return was rejected and told me I must file 1040x by mail, which I did. (I was hoping Turbo would make arrangements with IRS to let those of us who used their "Stimulus Tool, to submit the 1040x online. (There were many rules and procedures changed due to Covid, so I was hoping that adding an electronic option for 1040x would be one of them. This would have saved the IRS from processing all these paper returns.)

But the rule stayed the same, send 1040x only by mail and wait until the backlog was processed by IRS. I mailed my 1040x prepared on Turbotax for free, and immediately paid my tax amount due to the IRS. I checked the IRS website a few days later--and they did indeed receive my tax payment for 2019. I thought all was well.

But they set aside my 1040x I just found out, after contacting them by phone. I had not received Stimulus 3, so I felt something was wrong. (I received the other stimulus payments only a few days after they were signed into law last year.) 

IRS rep said the 1040x was the wrong form to use. I should have used a plain 1040--(even though that form was rejected online.) I don't know why they cannot simply process 1040x--becasue it was a logical form for me to use under the ever-changing rules from last summer. And the 1040x was the correct path, according to Turbotax as well. 

So now I don't know when I'll see my 3rd stimulus, because IRS has my 1040x, but won't process unless I send a 1040. I am being penalized because I used the Trubotax Stimulus Tool. (A few days after I used it in 2020--the IRS made their own tool!!!! But I had already used the "trustworthy" tool from the "experts" at Turbotax!

Bottom line, Turbotax used the wrong method to send our stimulus (direct deposit account numbers) to the IRS disguised as a tax return for $1. This caused all this delay for me. I may never get my 1400 3rd stimulus. Or I might be able to apply for it next year -- with my 20210 taxes (not 20200. This places me in a horrible financial situation. It could have been prevented if Turbotax had coordinated their tool with the IRS--or if Turbo had not taken it upon themselves to make their own tool. I'm sure the IRS direct tool, made available a week or two later--worked just fine.  

Is there anything Turbotax can do to get the IRS to process the form they have in their hands (my 1040x), so that I won't have to send them the same info on a 1040 form, and wait more than a year to possible get my $1400 3rd stimulus?

I am going to try calling IRS again and maybe a different rep will give ma a different option, but I doubt it will work. 

Turbotax-Intuit please help!!!! You've already lost a class action about charging filers for free services--don't let this end up in the courts as well. I'm sure there are many in my position.

I don't know if I can trust Turbotax in future, if they leave all of us who used their Stimulus Tool hanging like this!