If you’re like millions of Americans, you’ve been waiting six months or more for your tax refund. The IRS is taking steps to address this problem. It has increased its workforce, hired new contractors, and increased employee overtime, but the backlog is still high. The IRS has also extended the deadline for filing returns, from April 18 to May 17, for the 2021 filing season.
In the past two months, there have been several instances where people have been waiting for more than six months for their tax refunds. These delays have resulted in a backlog that is now over six million returns. The IRS says that the backlog is caused by the fact that paper returns take longer to process. As of July 1, more than eight million taxpayers had filed paper returns, adding to the workload.
While the IRS generally issues refunds in a matter of weeks, it can take up to a month for paper returns to process. Even if there are no mistakes or issues, paper returns can be caught in the backlog, causing them to be delayed. Taxpayers who filed paper returns in 2021 often reported waiting six months or more to receive their refunds.
If you’re still waiting for your refund, there are several ways to contact the IRS. There’s a toll-free number you can call, which will direct you to an IRS representative. However, they may not be able to give you as much information as the Where’s My Refund website can.
