Why is form 8396 not available until March 3, 2022? Is this only for electronically filing or is it just not available at all until then?

[DoninGA · Accepted solution]

Form 8396, Mortgage Interest Credit for tax year 2021 is estimated to be finalized and available in TurboTax on 03/03/2022 for both e-filing or to be printed and mailed.

[OnlyHappyWhenItRains]

It's actually just not available from Turbotax yet...really nothing to do with e-file specifically, just that Turbotax has to give the IRS the coding info...which they apparently don't do in a timely manner. So...with the huge backlog the IRS has, and the small chance you have to get your refund in less than 6 months if you file EARLY, they are taking their sweet time to get this done, even worse than last year, so you have no chance of getting your return in early. Thanks Turbotax, I've learned a lesson here...never purchase your software again.

[ookatieooo]

It seems to me that it is more likely that the IRS, with its noted huge backlog, is the source of the delay. Tax software platforms have to wait for the IRS to finalize tax forms before coding them and submitting to the IRS for approval. The overall process takes time. Some forms are still not even finalized. How is the tax software to blame? I don't even think the IRS is to blame. Can you imagine the IRS releasing all of the forms for 2020, then Congress passes a bunch of covid-related legislation in the middle of tax season that required changes to all of the forms? How about the software companies that had to then re-code everything? It is not like they were paid extra. We are talking about a lot of work being done by the IRS and by the software companies, with a workforce that was likely smaller due to the impacts of covid, and a lot more people filing tax returns than ever before due to the stimulus payments, etc. All of these factors combine to cause delays. Waiting until the first week of March to file my tax return is fine with me. 

[lflath]

This form was readily available last year and I was able to file early.  It is completely unacceptable that it is not available this year in a timely fashion.  I will likely not use Turbo Tax again next year because of the delay this has caused in filing.  

I will simply look for a tax service that has the form readily available early.  

[HeatherPLO]

In this public forum, we are provided with form availability information, but not an explanation as to why the form is not available until that date.  For additional information, it would be necessary to contact customer support.  To do this, please see this Help Article to get in touch with us.

[OLTLfan]

Last year (2022) Turbotax didn't have Form 8396 available on a timely basis.  I can tell you that last year, I just copied all my Turbotax data into the Tax Slayer free version in February and was able to immediately e-file my federal and state returns with Tax Slayer free edition.  Bonus:  no  TurboTax fee for e-filing with the state.  The bottom line is that all the other major tax prep software had Form 8396 ready to go right out of the chute.  Not an IRS problem.