Get My Refund site not acknowledging receipt of paper return after 7 weeks

[AD16]

I mailed my TURBO Tax paper return during the last weke of February. When will the 

Get My Refund IRs site show that the retrn has been received? Who can I contact to find out if the IRS has received my return? he IRS is not answering at [phone number removed] due to staffing shortages.  

[JeanneLO · Accepted solution]

Per the IRS you won't be able to contact them and they are not processing mailed tax returns right now. Until they begin processing your tax return you won't see a status on Where's My Refund?.

See this:

Note: We are not currently able to process individual paper tax returns due to the COVID-19 outbreak. https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/economic-impact-payments

You can find more information here: 

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-operations-during-covid-19-mission-critical-functions-continue

They ask that you do not file another copy.

[confusedrf]

So I sent in my kids paper returns mid April. What scares me is the IRS site does not even acknowledge they have been received it on the where's my refund site. Of course I didn't think to send it signature required or with a tracking number. I have no way of knowing if they received it. I have no way of contacting them. My kids have no way of getting their thousand or so dollars each back. What do I do from here? Should I resubmit them electronically. Should I send a paper copy in with a note with tracking this time. I know they're backed up but this is sort of ridiculous you should at least be able to find out if your thing is in the queue. And I have tried every day for a week you don't even get a chance to wait for your call to be taken they simply say they are not taking calls.

[Critter-3]

Sorry but all you can do is wait for them to finally enter the returns into the system which taking a LONG time this year do to staffing issues.  

[confusedrf]

I don't mind waiting but how do I know they even have it... I mean you think they'd have a system checking off one's received. I don't care if I wait three more months I just don't know if they have it them.

[Critter-3]

If you mailed it to the correct address without any kind of tracking then all you can do is wait.  

[confusedrf]

Is there any harm to mailing a copy with a note that says it's a copy unless the post office lost it and they didn't receive it. This time I will use a tracking number and at least I'll know they received it. Is there any harm that can come from doing that?

[xmasbaby0]

MAILED RETURNS

Per the IRS:

COVID-19 Mail Processing Delays

It’s taking us longer to process mailed documents including:

• Paper tax returns, and
• All tax return related correspondence.

We are processing all mail in the order we received it.

Do not file a second tax return or call the IRS.

 It can take 3-4 weeks  (or a LOT longer since the IRS is severely backlogged) for anything to show up on the IRS site when you mail a tax return.  Expect at least 6-8 weeks for complete processing of a mailed return and probably  MUCH MUCH longer.

If  you mail a tax return (or a payment) to the IRS, it is a good idea to use a mailing service that will track it like UPS or certified mail so you will know it was received.

When you mail a tax return, you need to attach any documents showing tax withheld, such as your W-2’s or any 1099’s. 

TurboTax will not know anything about your mailed return, and will continue to show “Ready to Mail” on your account.  TurboTax will not know that you put your tax return in an envelope and took it to a mailbox.  TurboTax does not get updates on mailed  (or e-filed) returns.

When the IRS opens its mail and begins to process mailed returns you can check the status on the IRS site. https://www.irs.gov/refunds

State returns have to be mailed to the state.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1899433-how-do-i-track-my-state-refund

If you are wondering if you should send your return again——the IRS does not want you to file a second time.   Putting two tax returns into the system at the same time can lead to confusion and even more delays.   If you did not use tracking and do not know if the return was received—-you have to make your own judgement call and decide if you want to risk further delay by sending the return again.

[confusedrf]

I hear you and my issue isn't so much getting my refund in so much as it is have they received my tax return?

You're right I should have sent it with a tracking number. Never did it before didn't think of it this year.  In my area there were problems with mail delivery,  believe it or not our local post office was investigated. It's been a minimum of 10 weeks so far. And again I would not mind waiting I just do not know if they received the document at all. I would assume as these are received they're opened and put into some queue and that's where the 'where's my refund app' comes in. So that you can at least know it was received.

You all keep saying 6 to 8 weeks it's been 10 weeks. I'm willing to wait another week but at some point I'm really going to have to mail these in... again I just don't know what else to do.

 I understand it could be sitting in a mail room somewhere in a box unopened. But if such is the case you would think on their website... And they're pretty good about updating the website.. it would state that maiiled returns  could sit potentially for 10 to 12 weeks BEFORE  appearing on the 'where's my refund' site. This is my bone of contention. I guess I'll give it a little more time.

[Critter-3]

[AD16]

I went through a similar scenario one year ago. The site said not to resend (i.e., remail) any filed returns. I gave up hope of seeing a refund in 2020. No sign of the return appeared on the IRS website. Finally, in the third week of October, my refund arrived (with interest). The interest p, it was later discovered, was taxable. Chris week the IRS stated to news media that as of June 30 there were 35 million returns yet to be processed. (Sounds like last year.)

[AD16]

Plz excuse typos in recent message (Chris=This)

[confusedrf]

Well another couple weeks have gone by. I have still not found anyone who submitted their return via paper and whose website response does not indicate it was received. I have no other choice then to resubmit on paper unless you guys feel it might be best to try to file electronically . The website is still a mess... No record of receiving the returns...  I did notice some new options on the phone but you still can't get through to anyone and now it states electronic refunds in 21 days... paper refunds in 6 weeks and I've waited 12.

Is it possible to file electronically at this point ???

Does anyone know? Otherwise I'll be mailing it in and asking for a tracking number. I might as well send something in for my tax return as well because I am expecting another $1,200 back due to the unemployment tax law change and I never got that nor have I gotten any kind of letter saying there was anything wrong with my taxes and that was filed even earlier.... Electronically.

I now realize I should have filed all electronically. However TurboTax only gives you one for free. I believe others let you file them all for free I guess I'll have to check that out.

[Tfish09]

I mailed our federal tax return in 12 weeks ago (with a USPS tracking number confirmation) and the IRS Where’s my Refund site doesn’t show that it’s been received yet either. I realize this isn’t helpful given that I’m still looking for answers myself, but hopefully someone is able to assist with whether we should be mailing the returns in for a second time.

[DoninGA]

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@Tfish09  wrote:

I mailed our federal tax return in 12 weeks ago (with a USPS tracking number confirmation) and the IRS Where’s my Refund site doesn’t show that it’s been received yet either. I realize this isn’t helpful given that I’m still looking for answers myself, but hopefully someone is able to assist with whether we should be mailing the returns in for a second time.

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No, do not mail a second tax return.

The IRS is taking months to start processing mailed tax returns.

Make sure that you are entering Exactly the Social Security number, Filing Status and the whole dollar amount  of the federal tax refund as shown on your Form 1040.

The IRS is seriously behind in processing 2020 tax returns.  This is due to many factors, such as the pandemic, completing processing of millions of 2019 tax returns, stimulus payments, unemployment compensation exclusion tax refunds., changes in the tax code by Congress in the middle of the 2020 tax season and the like.

Millions of taxpayers have not yet received there federal tax refunds.

Go to this IRS website for operational status - https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-operations-during-covid-19-mission-critical-functions-continue

As of July 24, 2021, we had 14.7 million unprocessed individual returns. Unprocessed individual returns include tax year 2020 returns such as those requiring correction to the Recovery Rebate Credit amount or validation of 2019 income used to figure the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC). This work does not require us to correspond with taxpayers but does require special handling by an IRS employee so, in these instances, it is taking the IRS more than 21 days to issue any related refund and in some cases this work could take 90 to 120 days. If, as a result, a correction is made to any RRC, EITC or ACTC claimed on the return, the IRS will send taxpayers an explanation. Taxpayers are encouraged to continue to check Where’s My Refund? for their personalized refund status and can review Tax Season Refund Frequently Asked Questions.

What you should do: In most instances, no further action is needed but you may check Where’s my refund or you can view your account. If you filed electronically and received an acknowledgement, you do not need to take any further action other than promptly responding to any requests for information. If you filed on paper, check Where’s my refund? If it tells you we have received your return or are processing or reviewing it, we are processing your return, but it may be under review. We’re working hard to get through the backlog. Please don’t file a second tax return or contact the IRS about the status of your return.