IRS Updates

We may just be coming off the tax season that would never end (hey, those extra three months felt like a long time), but it has left some loose ends that still need to be tied up.

First, the IRS is letting people know that it still has a backlog of mail to go through. This means if you mailed a payment to the agency and it has not yet been cashed, do not cancel the check, and ensure funds are still available to pay it. The chances are higher that the agency just hasn’t opened your envelope yet than that the check got lost in the mail. The IRS also promises that you will receive credit for the payment on the day it was mailed and not on the day that that mail actually gets opened.

And if you try to call the IRS to find out about any payments, the chances are also high you are going to be waiting an annoyingly long time to get anyone on the line. (The mail is not the only part of the agency still playing catch-up, after all.) Many questions about payments (and you can even make online payments) can be done via the internet on the webpage, www.irs.gov/payments.

Conversely, if you filed by mail and are waiting for a refund check or deposit, that backlog of envelopes means you may have to just keep waiting a little longer. Electronic filing is not experiencing the same level of delay, so if you did things that way and are still waiting on your money, the easiest way to check on the status of any refund is also done online at www.irs.gov/refunds.

Also still at a bit of loose ends is the receiving of some Economic Impact Payments. One of the big issues still lingering is many people not receiving the $500 per child that was to be part of the payment. If you have missed out on part of this payment, the IRS is allowing certain people (“Those eligible to provide this information include people with qualifying children who receive Social Security retirement, survivor or disability benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Railroad Retirement benefits and Veterans Affairs Compensation and Pension (C&P) benefits and did not file a tax return in 2018 or 2019.”) to use the non-filers tool through September 30 to get this money. It is expected that these catch-up payments will be made by mid-October.

If you have any other questions on where the agency stands with its operations during this time, the IRS is maintaining an extensive webpage here. This is also a good resource to use no matter the question you have concerning the agency, for it will point you to the best places to attempt to get the information you need in the fastest manner.

Warmly,

Josh Bousquet
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