Who do I contact to find out what the hold up with unemployment credit refund?

[slash]

Turbotax says refund should've been May 18.  It's mid June.

[DoninGA]

The refund date for your federal tax refund on the 2020 tax return you filed is just an estimate based on the IRS target of issuing a federal tax refund within 21 days after receiving the tax return.  It is a Target only and NOT a guarantee.

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 June 5, 2021, we had 18.2 million unprocessed individual returns in the pipeline. Unprocessed 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. 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.

Once a tax return has been Accepted by the IRS or a State, TurboTax receives no further information concerning the tax return or the status of any tax refund.

If accepted by the IRS use the federal tax refund website to check the refund status - https://www.irs.gov/refunds

After the tax return has been Accepted by the IRS (meaning only that they received the return) it will be in the Processing mode until the tax refund has been Approved and then an Issue Date will be available on the IRS website.
See this IRS website for federal tax refund FAQ's - https://www.irs.gov/refunds/tax-season-refund-frequently-asked-questions

The tax refund for the unemployment compensation exclusion is a separate refund issued by the IRS for those eligible for the exclusion.  The IRS has started issuing tax refunds for those eligible starting in May and continuing throughout the summer months.

See this IRS website for information - https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-sending-more-than-2-point-8-million-refunds-to-those-who-already-pa...

[xmasbaby0]

You seem to be asking about two separate things or perhaps you have two things confused.    If you are asking about your income tax refund:

TurboTax gives you an estimated date for receiving your refund based on a 21 day average from your date of acceptance, but it can take longer.  “21 days”  is not a promise from TurboTax or the IRS.   Many refunds are taking longer during the pandemic.  The IRS is backlogged —-they are still trying to process millions of 2019 returns; they received millions of e-filed on the day they opened for 2020 returns, and now they are burdened with sending out another round of stimulus checks.   

Some delays are resulting from incorrect amounts that folks entered for stimulus checks they received.   Many people have been confused by the recovery rebate credit and completed it incorrectly.  The IRS may delay your refund while they cross-check to see what you received.  Some refunds are delayed because of the tax law changes that went into effect recently.   If your return has unemployment or the premium tax credit on it, that may be delaying it.

First, check your e-file status to see if your return was accepted: 

https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/efile-status-lookup/

Once your federal return has been accepted by the IRS, only the IRS has any control.  TurboTax does not receive any updates from the IRS. Your ONLY source of information about your refund now is the IRS.

You need your filing status, your Social Security number and the exact amount  (line 34of your 2020 Form 1040) of your federal refund to track your Federal refund:   

https://www.irs.gov/refunds

To track your state refund:    

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

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901548-why-do-some-refunds-take-longer-than-others

If you chose to have your TurboTax fees deducted from your federal refund, that will take some extra time, while the third party bank handles the refund processing.

https://www.irs.gov/refunds/tax-season-refund-frequently-asked-questions

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2840013-does-accepted-mean-my-refund-is-approved

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2724106-my-return-is-accepted-but-still-not-approved-is-there-a-pr...

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

As of May 15, 2021, we had 300,000 individual tax returns received prior to 2021 in the processing pipeline. Including current year returns, as of May 15, 2021, we had 16.4 million unprocessed individual returns in the pipeline. Unprocessed returns include 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. 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.

If you already received your tax refund and are referring to the "extra" refund  for unemployment that is going out to people who filed before the tax laws changed:

The IRS began to send out the additional refund checks for tax withheld from unemployment in May.   If you are eligible for the extra refund for federal tax that was withheld from your unemployment the IRS will be sending you an additional refund sometime during the next several months.  TurboTax cannot track or predict when it will be sent.  The IRS has not provided a way for you to track it, so all you can do is wait for the refund to arrive.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/tax-topics/help/how-do-i-get-the-new-unemployment-benefits-if-i-ve...

Please read this very recent news from the IRS:

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-to-recalculate-taxes-on-unemployment-benefits-refunds-to-start-in-m...

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-begins-correcting-tax-returns-for-unemployment-compensation-income-...

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/tax-credits-and-deductions/help/am-i-eligible-for-a-new-credit-or-...

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/2020-unemployment-compensation-exclusion-faqs

https://www.irs.gov/faqs/irs-procedures/forms-publications/new-exclusion-of-up-to-10200-of-unemploym...

[slash]

Thanks for the reply!  Yeah, I already got my initial refund a while back.  I was wanting some info on the unemployment credit (whatever you call it).  I'm assuming they're so backed up and that's the hold up.  Do you know what line on turbotax to look up to find out how much (if anything) the unemployment refund is?

[Mike9241]

Turbotax used the previous IRS announced average of about 21 days. this year, due to many factors, millions of refunds especially the UC refunds are taking much longer. it had said that those refunds could take all summer.  only the IRS can tell you about the status by calling.  it has not yet set up a website where you can check on the status.

be aware that the IRS is being besieged by calls for one thing or another. the number might be busy or you might get disconnected. 

 800-829-1040
First choose your language.
Then 2
Then 1
Then 3
Then 2
When asked for SSN do nothing it will ask twice
Then 2
Then 4

[slash]

Thanks for responding.  Do you know what line to look at on TT to see what, if any, refund I'll be getting back related to the unemployment credit?

[DoninGA]

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@slash wrote:

Thanks for responding.  Do you know what line to look at on TT to see what, if any, refund I'll be getting back related to the unemployment credit?

---

If the tax return was filed after March 26, 2021 and you entered unemployment compensation then the exclusion would have been calculated by TurboTax if your Adjusted Gross Income was less than $150,000.

So you would not be receiving a separate tax refund from the IRS for the exclusion.

The exclusion is reported on Schedule 1 Line 8 as a negative number.  The unemployment compensation received is on Line 7 of Schedule 1.  The result flows to Form 1040 Line 8.

[Critter-3]

@slash 

Just looking at Sch 1 will not give you the answer you seek since the recalculation of the return will effect more than just one line.   If you don't see the negative amount on line 8 then use the amendment option  to recompute the return.