No, it is never recommended that you file the same tax return twice (once you've mailed your taxes they are considered filed).
Attempting to e-file your return, after mailing them, may result in the IRS rejecting the e-filed return due to someone already filing using that name, social security number and birthdate.
Additionally, if there is a refund due, submitting two returns will slow down your receiving your refund because a person will need to investigate why two returns were received.
My taxes were amended. how can I efile if I had sent the original ones in already ???
You can not efile an Amended return. Amended returns can only be mailed.
Amended returns MUST be mailed in ... you cannot efile them. In the FILE tab choose to mail in the return and then the filing instruction page that prints with the amended return tells you how and where to file it.
How long do I wait? I did the mail in option because my wife did not have a pin but it has been several months and no signs of it being received by the IRs
Did you get a tracking number from the post office when you mailed it? And you mailed federal and state in separate envelopes? They go to different places.
Sorry the IRS has limited staff due to Covid-19. They didn't start opening the mail until June that's been stacking up. Back in March the IRS closed their processing centers and stopped processing mailed tax returns. An IRS spokesperson recently said that they have about 11 million pieces of unopened mail. The IRS says....."We’re experiencing delays in processing paper tax returns due to limited staffing. If you already filed a paper return, we will process it in the order we received it." So it may take longer if you mailed in June or later. So you have to keep waiting.
See this IRS page for the latest information
https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-operations-during-covid-19-mission-critical-functions-continue
In that case should I try to get what I need to efile and just have them reject the one mailed to them when they finally get around to it?
NO! Do not efile or file again. That will just confuse them and delay it even more. See this IRS page for the latest information
https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-operations-during-covid-19-mission-critical-functions-continue
It says not to file again.
I sent paper tax return in on Feb 3 and nothing shows on IRS website. How do I know it isn't lost. 10 or more weeks and nothing. Doesn't IRS image all mail received?
No. IRS keeps the original document if received. They also enter the data from the information into their system and create a transcript of the information received.
Paper document more than 10 weeks is normal THIS year! IRS id behind in processing refunds due to issuing Stimulus payments. You can check on the IRS webpage the status of your return by using this link. Where’s My Federal Refund?
There is a reddit page on paper tax return: https://www.reddit.com/r/IRS/comments/m9dqc0/paper_tax_return/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
The delay is widespread, I heard a case that someone sent in 2019 tax return in April, 2020 and IRS didn't show they received it until February 2021. It takes them 10 months to open the envelope. That is how slow it is!
If they have not even processed my mail-in return (around March 9th), then they will not have information on file for me, so why would e-filing be an issue? They said they might not get to this years returns for a while so what is the point in waiting if they haven't gotten to it.