Anyone else get a letter from the IRS – Verify Identity

I received a letter from the IRS ( I hope its from them anyway ) saying they need to identify me before they will process my tax return and refund. I called my tax person who process my taxes to verify if this is a valid IRS letter. He said Yes. The letter says you can call a 800 # or go online to idverify.irs.gov. I tried to call the 800 # several times, keep receiving a message that says due to volume of calls to try on a different day. Decided to try and go the online route. After spending 20 minutes answering questions I did not feel comfortable answering I got a message that said I would need to call the 800 # to verify my Info. anyway. Right back to where I started. It goes on to say even after completion of verifying my identity it will take up to 9 more weeks to process my refund. I had my taxes process and sent in the first week in April. They keep telling people they are behind in processing this years returns because of a shortage of help – Then they add all this additional BS – What a crock of _hit all this is.
Anyone else here run into this issue with this years taxes?

IRS is not answering any calls. Your govt in action.

They didn’t have a shortage of help to crank out the vote payment checks.

I did my taxes 3 weeks ago with Turbo tax.
Refund was deposited in account last week.

I would not have a problem with the website.

idverify.irs.gov

I usually receive a small refund every year. I file in late February every year. It has never taken longer than about a month to receive both my state and federal tax refund since I entered the work force 20 years ago. I still haven’t received mine this year. It’s been over 3 months now. My refund status has been “in process” this entire time.

I’m sure they are low on work force, tax law is being updated, and there’s stimulus/unemployment issues to work through, but this is ridiculous.

Congress can authorize a stimulus and it goes out in 2 weeks. But they can’t send a tax refund from the same source in 3 months? It all comes from the same place, the US Treasury.

I have not received my refund yet either. I have not received a letter. I cannot even tell by looking at their website refund status process if they have even received my tax filing. It went electronic through a professional Tax Preparer.

Eelpoutguy wrote:

I would not have a problem with the website.

idverify.irs.gov

I would not have had a problem with the site either if after more than a 1/2 hr of jumping thru hoops and giving out info. That the IRS should not even need to identify me and end up being told I need to call the 800 # to verify my Info. The 800 # says I should not even use the phone # for the letter type I received. But yet I was directed there from the online site. I can tell this is going to be a long and slow process. It’s not even about the refund delay. It’s about needing to do the whole verification process. How many people who file a fraudulent tax return are going to do so through a paid tax person? Why don’t they focus on all the people who have taxable income who don’t even file a tax return at all !!!

robby wrote:

I have not received my refund yet either. I have not received a letter. I cannot even tell by looking at their website refund status process if they have even received my tax filing. It went electronic through a professional Tax Preparer.

Well at least I know I’m not the only one then.

There is a way to check your refund at the IRS website. You will need certain information. This is where mine has said “in process” for 3 months.

https://sa.www4.irs.gov/irfof/lang/en/irfofgetstatus.jsp

fishthumper wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Eelpoutguy wrote:</div>
I would not have a problem with the website.

idverify.irs.gov

I would not have had a problem with the site either if after more than a 1/2 hr of jumping thru hoops and giving out info. That the IRS should not even need to identify me and end up being told I need to call the 800 # to verify my Info. The 800 # says I should not even use the phone # for the letter type I received. But yet I was directed there from the online site. I can tell this is going to be a long and slow process. It’s not even about the refund delay. It’s about needing to do the whole verification process. How many people who file a fraudulent tax return are going to do so through a paid tax person? Why don’t they focus on all the people who have taxable income who don’t even file a tax return at all !!!

Because us Law abiding citizens are low hanging fruit.

I paid in. They had no problem depositing my check less than one week after I mailed it.

A coworker is still waiting for his 2019 refund. He filed his return on time. He has spent over a year trying to get an answer.

saugeye-steve wrote:

I did my taxes 3 weeks ago with Turbo tax.
Refund was deposited in account last week.

X2

X3 for my son.

Tried the 800# 3 more times today. Once when they opened at 7:00. Same message ” Do to the high volume of calls – hang up and try again later “. Seems like this is going to be a long process – What a crock of dog crap this is. Work hard and they take a big chunk of your $’s, Overpay your taxes so they don’t nail you at tax time, complete your taxes well before the deadline, Wait and Wait for your refund, Get a letter saying you have to prove who you are, follow the process the letter tells you to, Cant get a answer at the phone # they provide, Once / If able to verify I am who I say I am wait another 8-10 weeks to get my refund. This country and the system is going to poop fast !!!

The Pessimist wrote:

I paid in. They had no problem depositing my check less than one week after I mailed it.

X2 on this……

Forrest Melton wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>The Pessimist wrote:</div>

I paid in. They had no problem depositing my check less than one week after I mailed it.

X2 on this……

Same

Due to this crap I’m going to change how I handle my taxes this year. Instead of overpaying each quarter I’m going to short pay them. If I end up owing them money at tax time – Oh well. I’ll wait till the tax deadline and just write them a check. I’m not going to let them use my money all year and then screw me at tax time like this year again.

fishthumper wrote:

Due to this crap I’m going to change how I handle my taxes this year. Instead of overpaying each quarter I’m going to short pay them. If I end up owing them money at tax time – Oh well. I’ll wait till the tax deadline and just write them a check. I’m not going to let them use my money all year and then screw me at tax time like this year again.

It is better to either break even if you can or pay in as little as possible. That way you get to use your money all year instead of waiting for the government to reimburse you interest free.

We went to the CPA that has always done ours, May 5th he called said they were finished and ready for signing on the 7th and they E-filed them. Received the Fed refund on May 25th.

Stanley wrote:

It is better to either break even if you can or pay in as little as possible. That way you get to use your money all year instead of waiting for the government to reimburse you interest free.

This is true. Being self employed I got in the habit of overpaying each quarter. I just didn’t want to have to pay them a big amount at tax time like I did one year. I also liked getting money back each year ( Kind of like a forced savings account )

It seems like I’m always unlucky when it come to these random things. I’ve been pulled aside 3 out of the last 4 times I flew to have my bags and person searched. The guy I go to Canada fishing with had never in over 20 years been pulled aside and brought inside. That was till I started going with. Now its happen 2 out of the last 3 years. He tells me he’s going to make me cross the border by myself on future trips.

I gave not received a letter. Our tax people e filed are taxes end of April and received the check yesterday. Unfortunately I sent it to the state.

Being newly retired alot of this is new to me. SS and my pension takes federal out but not state taxes. So the estimated quarterly thing kinda bites.

fishthumper wrote:

I also liked getting money back each year

If you rely on someone else to create a savings for you, then you get to deal with their problems as well. Noone to blame except yourself, everyone has known for decades how incompetent our government can be at times.

Once I spoke with a good accountant and setup a more efficient biz structure this whole tax thing has become quite easy to deal with.

I did my taxes in April. Paid in to Federal. Now waiting for my refund back from federal as well. Still processing.

I just had lunch with my accountant and friend and he said this is a common problem, particularly due to how you accounted for any stimulus or PPP funds. Basically the IRS is holding these up for manual review to make sure there’s no double dipping going on, and they aren’t staffed for this huge increase in work flow. Like the Hunger Games, May the Odds be in Your Favor!

fishthumper wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Stanley wrote:</div>
It is better to either break even if you can or pay in as little as possible. That way you get to use your money all year instead of waiting for the government to reimburse you interest free.

This is true. Being self employed I got in the habit of overpaying each quarter. I just didn’t want to have to pay them a big amount at tax time like I did one year. I also liked getting money back each year ( Kind of like a forced savings account )

Self employed as well and likewise make sure to pay more then need each quarter but in stead of taking a refund have it applied to next years quarterly payments.

filed march 25,still waiting here as well,

in process

Due to this crap I’m going to change how I handle my taxes this year. Instead of overpaying each quarter I’m going to short pay them. If I end up owing them money at tax time – Oh well. I’ll wait till the tax deadline and just write them a check. I’m not going to let them use my money all year and then screw me at tax time like this year again.

Be careful. If you under pay by too much they will charge you a penalty fee
How do you like that? If they hold your money for a refund they don’t pay you interest, but it doesn’t work the other way.

rvvrrat wrote:

Be careful. If you under pay by too much they will charge you a penalty fee
How do you like that? If they hold your money for a refund they don’t pay you interest, but it doesn’t work the other way.

We didn’t receive our 2019 refund until March of 2021 and were paid interest by the IRS.

Update as of 6/3/21: I received my federal tax refund that was filed in February. It was “adjusted” to a lower amount than what was filed by my accountant and they indicated that a letter is coming to explain why.