E file lost by IRS.

[ritastone001]

Have a client whose return filed in March had been "processing" all year. Until around Christmas the message changed to no return found. Have an SID number, and they received their state refund. So the return had to be received by the IRS. After contacting a Taxpayer Advocate for help, we had to file their Federal return on paper.  Has anyone else ever dealt with this?  Or is this a 2020 thing? I am nervous about filing another return but everything is documented.

[IRonMaN]

2020 was the year of "anything is possible".  Let's just hope 2021 isn't a repeat of 2020.

[BobKamman]

Was there anything unusual about the return, like EIC and electric-vehicle credit along with triplets with (of course) the same birth date?

On second thought, triplets with different birth dates would be even more unusual, although not impossible.  

[George4Tacks]

I actually had that happen to my return one year. I had a "hinky" item on the return and it got sent to never never land for review. I also go the Taxpayer Advocate involved, and the e-filed return was found and ultimately processed. That was in the days before the chaos of 2020. I had another get snagged because of an incorrect amount of Social Security income (someone who will not be named put net instead of gross).

I trust e-file way more than paper, especially now with the IRS centers still playing catch up with 2019 returns.  

[ritastone001]

The return may have been hung up because 2018 they filed MFS and 2019 was MFJ. But after calling all year long and only getting automated numbers, we requested a transcript and when it was received, it show no file information found. At that point we faxed TPA form and the client received a call within 3 hrs to file the return on paper. 

[ritastone001]

Yes efile is the way to go! But, I need to change my "spiel" some. Having the SID number didn't help anything except to cover me and Proseries with the client. We did do what we said we did. Efiling is the quickest, easiest, way to file almost all returns.

[dascpa]

Hinky - from "The Fugitive".

Marshal Bobby Biggs:
It's hinky, Sam. I mean, this guy is a college graduate. He became a doctor. I mean, he ain't gonna go through here with all this security. Hinky.

Deputy Marshal Samuel Gerard:
Biggs, what does that mean, hinky?

Marshal Bobby Biggs:
I don't know. Strange. Weird

Deputy Marshal Samuel Gerard:
Well, why don't you say strange or weird? I mean hinky, that has no meaning.

Marshal Bobby Biggs:
Well, we say hinky.

Deputy Marshal Samuel Gerard:
I don't want you guys using words with no meaning. I'm taking the stairs

Marshal Bobby Biggs:
[sotto voice] How about bull**bleep**? How about bull**bleep**, Sam?

[George4Tacks]

Thank you, I wasn't sure of the correct spelling.

[ritastone001]

Just as an update on the subject, the client called me yesterday. They received their 2019 refund in the mail. Now let us see when we file their 2020 if we can get their 2nd EIP.