Incarceration/Refund 2017

[garman22]

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-]

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

[BobKamman]

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]

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@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?

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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]

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@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.  

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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.