Incarceration/Refund 2017

garman22 · ‎03-23-2024

Hi All,

Has anyone in their career come across this before and was anyone successful?

Taxpayer filed in 2017 and was due a refund. IRS sent identity letter and held back refund. Taxpayer was incarcerated that year and could not respond to said letter.

Question: is there any recourse here? Taxpayer would've gotten refund if not for IRS issuing identity letter. Im wondering if he is SOL?

Thanks.

Just-Lisa-Now- · ‎03-23-2024

Did he just get outta jail now? What was he doing 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023? Has he verified his ID now?

♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥Lisa♥¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪

BobKamman · ‎03-23-2024

Have you seen an IRS transcript? The statute of limitations stops running when the return is filed. If there is a frozen refund, IRS can still unfreeze it. But I wouldn't be surprised if a refund was eventually sent and cashed by someone who now doesn't remember.

garman22 · ‎03-23-2024

@Just-Lisa-Now- wrote:

Did he just get outta jail now? What was he doing 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023? Has he verified his ID now?

Good question. He was behind bars until May of this year. Apparently prisoners received their stimulus checks even behind bars.

He has not verified ID that I know of.

garman22 · ‎03-23-2024

@BobKamman wrote:

Have you seen an IRS transcript? The statute of limitations stops running when the return is filed. If there is a frozen refund, IRS can still unfreeze it. But I wouldn't be surprised if a refund was eventually sent and cashed by someone who now doesn't remember.

No sir, I have not seen any transcript. I prepared the return in question in 2017. I saw the letter that was sent to his last known address (parents). Why they never sought me out is beyond me. I've prepared the family for a long long time. I told him I would try to recover if possible.