As of June 25, 2021, 16.7 million 2019 and 2020 individual federal returns are in a backlog (that requires manual processing)... Includes both paper filed and e-filed returns... maybe this can be of some "comfort" to our clients with "in limbo returns" knowing that they are not the only ones... Just my opinion..
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As of July 3, 2021, it increased to 16.8 million
When I Google "IRS backlog", there are dozens of recent articles saying 35 million.
It says 16.8 million PAPER returns that need to be processed, PLUS 15.8 that are suspended for review, PLUS 2.7 amended returns.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tax-refund-35-million-returns-irs-backlog/
I saw that also after I did the same Google search after sjr comment........ not sure if that 35 million figure includes all returns, not just 1040 returns but also corporate and so forth... In any event there is a monstrous pile of returns ...Just my opinion...
I'm getting my info from the horse's mouth.
IRS Operations During COVID-19: Mission-critical functions continue | Internal Revenue Service
First item under What You Can Expect
👍sjr I received my aforementioned information from the Kiplinger Tax Letter... This is a great, reliable source of valuable information and I highly recommend it for all tax preparers...just my opinion....
The 35 million number seems to be from a recent Taxpayer Advocate Blog (June 29th) that said as of the tax deadline (May 17th) , there were 35 million.
So it seems like the news media just grabbed that number, despite the fact that numbers seems to be outdated.
https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/news/nta-blog-2021-filing-season-bumps-in-the-road-part-iii/
Let us hope that these returns are processed as soon as they can... The monthly child tax credit payments are to begin soon and I'm not sure if this is or is not going to have an effect on this processing of "in limbo returns"...
That’s the number to use if you want the IRS spin on it. Meanwhile, the national taxpayer advocate said in a report to Congress last week that although around 95% of taxpayers will likely avoid a delay in their 2020 tax return, 35.3 million individual and business returns are still unprocessed.
IRS is counting only those returns that have been around longer than 21 days. The NTA seems to be counting those that were received recently enough that they can’t be counted yet as delayed. She also seems to be adding in the delayed 941's.
Most of my clients have been voting for years to send people to Congress who have been voting to defund the IRS. It’s easier to point this out to them, now that refund delays have hit them in the pocketbook. (Even if, the Kiplinger right-wing propaganda ignores that reality.)
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