The IRS Is in Shambles

Jul 26, 2021 9:00:00 AM

Recently, we’ve received many calls from people who are still waiting to get their tax return refund and their stimulus payments. We’ve also gotten calls from people who have received letters from the IRS for dubious reasons. If you’re one of those people and you’re concerned that you may have made a mistake, stay calm. Chances are, you did nothing wrong. There are millions of people out there who are in the same predicament.

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The 2020 tax season was like one we’ve never seen before. Due to the extenuating circumstances caused by COVID-19, the IRS changed many aspects of our tax code. While these changes were mostly beneficial, they also made tax season much more complicated than usual.

In a recent Washington Post article, Michelle Singletary writes about the current backlog of the IRS and how there are still millions of tax returns that have yet to be filed. She notes that the IRS estimated that the number of tax returns there were still waiting to be filed at the end of the 2020 tax season was close to 35 million. While this number may be astounding to hear, it’s possible that the actual number is higher.

But isn’t there always a backlog at the IRS?

The IRS has been known for its frustrating customer service and slow response times. In the past, tax season was a time in which people could expect to be able to get their refund processed quickly or at least have an answer back as soon as possible from the agency's "call center." However, with all of this new information coming out about how many returns still need processing after 2020, it seems that those days are long gone.

The IRS was unable to hire enough employees due to budgetary constraints, and as a result, had far too few employees available to work on processing tax returns and issuing refunds during the filing season. In addition, many of those that were hired by the IRS had not been given adequate training for their positions or had received no training at all.

The IRS is struggling to keep up with the demands of the people. But that doesn’t mean you have to struggle, too. That’s why we encourage you to work with a professional tax preparer to make sure your tax returns are filed correctly and in a timely manner. If you are in need of an amended return, have a tax letter that you received from the IRS or just have a general tax question don’t hesitate to contact us. R&G Brenner will work with you to make this process as smooth and stress-free as possible. We have your back, and we’ll be there to mitigate any issues that arise.