Six months to get my tax refund?
September 27, 2021 10:28 AM Subscribe
I e-filed our US Federal Income Tax return in early March, and just got our refund a few days ago. Should I be worried?
The taxes were prepared and filed using TurboTax, as I've done for the past several years. Our return was pretty straightforward: we used 1040SR, claimed the standard deduction, and had investment income as well as retirement income and a little bit of work income. We make estimated tax payments through the year but, because it's impossible to predict our investment income from year to year, we tend to swing pretty wildly between refunds and owing money.
Fortunately, we didn't need the tax refund for any specific purpose so the delay in receiving it was not really a problem. And they added 1.27% interest to our base refund, so I have no complaint there either.
But, I've never experienced a delay like this before and I wonder if it reflects some problem, like some nefarious actor filed a return for us at about the same time, or the IRS delved more deeply into the details of our return than expected, or something I have no idea about. Can anyone offer insights or reassurance about this mystery?
The taxes were prepared and filed using TurboTax, as I've done for the past several years. Our return was pretty straightforward: we used 1040SR, claimed the standard deduction, and had investment income as well as retirement income and a little bit of work income. We make estimated tax payments through the year but, because it's impossible to predict our investment income from year to year, we tend to swing pretty wildly between refunds and owing money.
Fortunately, we didn't need the tax refund for any specific purpose so the delay in receiving it was not really a problem. And they added 1.27% interest to our base refund, so I have no complaint there either.
But, I've never experienced a delay like this before and I wonder if it reflects some problem, like some nefarious actor filed a return for us at about the same time, or the IRS delved more deeply into the details of our return than expected, or something I have no idea about. Can anyone offer insights or reassurance about this mystery?
The IRS was understaffed and overworked before the pandemic hit. A bunch of pandemic aid was implemented via tax systems, which ... taxed the system.
I wouldn't worry about it. If you haven't done it, securing access to your online Social Security account is a good thing to do to make sure your hatches are buttoned down.
posted by Dashy at 10:31 AM on September 27, 2021
I wouldn't worry about it. If you haven't done it, securing access to your online Social Security account is a good thing to do to make sure your hatches are buttoned down.
posted by Dashy at 10:31 AM on September 27, 2021
Same exact thing happened to me this year, including the interest.
posted by hwyengr at 11:11 AM on September 27, 2021
posted by hwyengr at 11:11 AM on September 27, 2021
Ha! When we got to a certain point in the year and hadn't heard word, we filed a second time with a note. Where this became important was: the tax implications for us last year completely changed as a result of them filing...So we finally received a refund, AND then we received stimulus money that most people received last year, because we didn't get it because of where we fell in 2019...
So... fun times. Don't be worried...
posted by Nanukthedog at 11:15 AM on September 27, 2021
So... fun times. Don't be worried...
posted by Nanukthedog at 11:15 AM on September 27, 2021
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posted by saeculorum at 10:30 AM on September 27, 2021 [4 favorites]