Waiting for tax refund for almost two years

[tdo061803]

Hi 

My 2019 tax was filed in 2020 by snail mail. I am still waiting to get a refund. I tried calling IRS several times and the automated voice always responded with "there are too many called at the moment, please call back another day" 

IRS website was not able to pull up my record. 

My concern is: if the return never reached IRS, would I fall into the situation that I didn't file and will never be able to receive the refund?

I am hitting a wall in moving it forward. Could someone advise good steps to take? Thank you!

[xmasbaby0]

TurboTax does not get any information at all from the IRS after you file your tax return.  No one at TurboTax knows what the IRS is doing with your return.

The IRS refund site is not showing information now for 2019 or 2020 refunds.  It is only showing 2021 refund information, so if you try to track a 2019 or 2020 refund it will tell you there is no information.

There have been a lot of delays for 2020 

If you mailed it:

MAILED RETURNS

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.

The IRS refund site is only showing information about 2021 refunds now so it will not show anything about your 2019 or 2020 refund.

Or......

Did you e-file?  Did you click a big orange button that said “Transmit my returns now?”

When you e-file your federal return you will receive two emails from TurboTax.  The first one will say that your return was submitted.  The second email will tell you if your federal return was accepted or rejected.  If you e-filed a state return, there will be a third email to tell you if the state accepted or rejected your state return.

Does your TT account say that your return was accepted?  Or does it say something else—like “rejected”, “printed” or “ready to mail?”  If it does not say accepted then it was not filed unless you put it in an envelope yourself and mailed it.

 TurboTax does not mail your tax return for you.

If your e-file was accepted:

If you chose to have your fees deducted from your federal refund:

Santa Barbara Tax Products Group, LLC  (SBTPG) is the bank that handles the Refund Processing Service when you choose to have your TurboTax fees deducted from your refund. This option also has an additional charge from the bank that processes the transaction. 

You can contact them SBTPG, toll-free, at 1-877-908-7228 or go to their secure website www.sbtpg.com 

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2580357-who-provides-the-refund-processing-service

To call the IRS:IRS:  800-829-1040  hours 7 AM - 7 PM local time Mon-Fri

Listen to each menu before making the selection.

First choose your language. Press 1 for English.

Then do NOT choose the first choice re: "Refund", or it will send you to an automated phone line.

Instead, press 2 for "personal income tax".

Then press 1 for "form, tax history, or payment".  

Then press 3 "for all other questions."

Then press 2 "for all other questions."  It should then transfer you to an agent.

TAX ADVOCATE

At the following IRS website, find the USA map and click on your state, and it will give you the number of your area's IRS Taxpayer Advocate.

http://www.irs.gov/uac/Contact-a-Local-Taxpayer-Advocate

Also see this article for more info on how the Taxpayer Advocate Service works::
http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc104.html

[tdo061803]

Thank you for your response. 

I call again using the number in your response and got the response that the call volume is too much and suggested me to call back another day.

I am concerned if I don't get a hold of someone before 15 Apr and they never received my mail-in tax return I will not get tax refund. Am I correct in my assumption?

Thank you!

[xmasbaby0]

Since it has been nearly two years without any information from the IRS, it is likely that your mailed return was lost somewhere along the way.   Mail it again with copies of W-2's and 1099's that show tax withheld, and this time use a mailing service with tracking--like certified mail--so you will know it was received.