I provided a summary of what I know so far... Your welcome to read the submitted post in this community blog, if you are still looking for related information. . Thanks  ... View more

Everyone who’s being Audited, or tax returns being reviewed, will not see any updates from the IRS until (best case scenario) after they resume to regular working conditions. All Internal Revenue Service offices placed their employees on “stay home” orders. At this time only a few, supervisors are working in the buildings, and some (authorized / trained) employees working from home. Most, of not all tax returns have been put on pause, amid the stimulus payments, which they are only focusing on at the moment. According to reports millions of tax returns are currently in limbo. Those who had to had a correspondence letter (a request for additional documents, or proof to claim certain credits, etc.) and you mailed, or faxed your copies of originals, back to the IRS for response, are definitely going to be waiting at least until mid May, or longer (and that’s IF they return to work at according to the current tenuous date) However that date is also indefinite, as everything else these days.    The IRS has been operating a little differently compared to how it did prior to the new tax bill (TCJA or something like that lol) which was signed into law in December 2017. They have new computer technology that is intended to check e-filed returns for any discrepancies, or social security numbers, unreported W2’s, rather from your current, or possibly prior 2 or 3)years of filing. If you claim dependents that you may not have claimed before, or if you and another filer attempted to claim the same dependent. Or if you made any mathematical errors, or accidentally entered something incorrect. This will trigger a “refund freeze” on a return, then automatically generate a letter to be mailed out to the filer. The tax return will then be placed on a hold for 30, 45, or maybe 60 days, and then will be directed to a different department for further review. If they determine it needs further examination, they will issue the filer a correspondence letter, or AUDIT, and your file remains on hold until 1.) they receive a response from the filer, or 2.) the time allotted has been reached without a response. Depending on the criteria they will not be asked to respond, but will be advised to look over your tax return and, submit an amended return if anything’s amiss. However, they will not explain what the issue might be. Anything that’s inconsistent or incorrectly (wittingly or unwittingly) entered on your return, will cause your refund to be delayed, reduced, increased, or completely rejected. Their purpose is to focus on the “Tax Hike Act” which is aimed to reduce unnecessary funding in the US Treasury. By reducing tax refunds that they pay out or credit to millions of working tax payers annually, or to see to it, that those who should receive on, does. Example: Last year my fiancé’s refund was on hold for review and when he finally got it, it was 2,000 more than he expected, because of a mathematical error. But I also have a friend currently waiting on her refund, and after waiting late February she was sent a letter stating that she didn’t report earnings from 2018 and she owes the IRS from 2019’s refund they over paid her. But by the time she mailed out that missing W2 to them, for correction, they were in the process of shutting down for “social distancing” so now, according to reports from treasury, all correspondence mail from filers, is being put into crates and hauled off to storage (temporally) until staff returns to work. If your waiting but weren’t asked to respond, even though you see a mistake on your tax return file, I’d wait to mail in an amendment until they are in the office, because it’s not going to be processed right now anyway. If your “on review” and your 30, 45, or 60 days is not up yet, and your letter said “no action is needed at this time” then assuming you filed a accurate return and only claimed what the law suggests, then you will (PROBABLY) see activity on “WMR” Shortly after the allotted time referenced on your letter, they mailed you. Example, my refund was on hold this year, and under review, but no action was required at the time. My 60 days was up, and the IRS offices were already evacuated. I was like WTF? And I kept checking  WMR, nothing, finally I logged into my account, and was able to check my transcripts, although they don’t have all the answers, if did indicate dates and any activity that has been done or will be done, post dated. It was updated a few days after the 60 day deadline and WMR finally updated to approved with a deposit date. But it was the longest, and most frustrating wait of my life (almost) but the unknown is the worst. At least if I had a clearer understanding of what to expect and plan accordingly, it wouldn’t be so irritating. But this never happened in all the years I’ve filed, so I had important things to pay, and certain “promise to pay” issues and credit cards I was draining with the intent on paying off also... But the delay really screwed up a lot of other things that needed to happen, like getting into our house and so forth. Now everything is on hold, due to this lock down. But it is, what it is!!!  Anyway, hope this information can give you all a little bit of hope, and or what you could expect, going forward. Thanks  ... View more