Simple Return

[DenverDad]

My wife and I are retired, and our income consists only of Social Security and a small amount of retirement income (SSA-1099s and 1099-R forms). We take the standard deduction.  I do not want to e-file, I want to mail it in. When I e-filed last year it took 9 months to get my refund.  Is this an easy process with TurboTax?  I’ll be doing my State taxes too. 

[xmasbaby0]

Not sure why you want to file by mail instead of e-filing.   Your TurboTax fees are the same whether you e-file it or mail the returns in envelopes.   It  takes the IRS longer to process mailed returns although nine months seems pretty long.  Did your return go under review or did you have to verify your identity?

[DenverDad]

Like I said, it took 9 months to get my return this year.  I finally got it by contacting my Congressman who went to t he TAS people for help.  Three times I've e-filed, the IRS requests backup documents, so I end up mailing anyway.  We have extra taxes deducted from our SSA and retirement income, which triggers the red flags.

[xmasbaby0]

Going forward, if you believe the "extra" tax you are having withheld from your Social Security benefits and from your other retirement income is causing the long processing delays, have you considered changing the amounts you are having withheld?  If you are having tax withheld just to get a refund later, all you are doing is giving the government an interest free loan.

If you want to file by mail, that is a choice you can make when you use TurboTax.  When you mail a tax return, you need to include copies of any W-2's or 1099's that show tax withheld.

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.  Use a mailing service that will track it, such as UPS or certified mail so you will know the IRS/state received the return.

Federal and state returns must be in separate envelopes and they are mailed to different addresses.  Read the mailing instructions that print with your tax return carefully so you mail them to the right addresses.

[Mike9241]

Normally a refund on an e-filed return takes 3 weeks or less. Did you file very early - before e-filing officially opened?  Did you call and ask about the delay - if so, what did the IRS say. 2025 e-filing opens in late January 2026. E-filing before the official opening usually results in it sitting on Turbotax's computers until then. if you prefer to mail it, you'll need to print out all the forms required for filing. use a tracking service so you know it arrives. Follow the filing instructions, especially in attaching any withholding forms and mailing to the proper address.   mail federal and state separately to the proper addresses. Note that the state cannot be e-filed if the federal isn't.