HEY, DUDE, WHERE'S MY REFUND?

In the past I have told clients and readers whose federal tax refunds were late in arriving to check the IRS website “Where’s My Refund” tool.

Unfortunately, this will not work for manual 2019 Form 1040 (or Form 1040-SR) filers whose refunds have not yet arrived.  

The IRS offices have been closed since the end of March, and are only now re-opening.  While these offices were closed nobody was opening mail or processing manual returns.  So, the IRS system has no idea if a manually-filed return has been received.  If it was received it most certainly has not been processed yet.  And clearly no refunds have been issued.

There is absolutely nothing that a tax preparer can do to expedite the processing of a 2019 tax return or the issuance of a 2019 tax refund.  Period.  End of story.  DO NOT CONTACT YOUR TAX PREPARER TO ASK WHERE YOUR FEDERAL REFUND IS.

Again unfortunately, taxpayers expecting refunds need to be patient.  They will eventually come.

The IRS office closure also means that correspondence has not been opened and read and amended returns have not been processed.  In the best of times you need patience concerning IRS correspondence - you obviously need much more now.  And be aware that the IRS will most likely be paying interest, at a rate much higher than banks, on amended return refunds - so the longer it takes to process your 1040X the more interest you will earn.

TTFN