- IRS’s overflow of 2019 mail continues into the 2021 tax season due to pandemic staffing limits
- Lawmakers urge IRS to check unprocessed mail before sending notices to taxpayers
- Other crucial IRS operations continue on delay
The 2019 tax filing year officially ended a bit later than usual last year on July 15, 2020. Yet, more than half a year later, nearly 260,000 Americans are receiving erroneous IRS notices that their 2019 returns were not filed.
Read: the IRS is issuing delinquency notices before checking the 7 million 2019 individual tax returns that are still waiting in their mailbox.
Lawmakers on the House Ways and Means Oversight subcommittee have addressed the concern in a letter to IRS Commissioner, Charles Rettig, asking:
- What is the IRS’s plan is to correct this error,
- What should taxpayers do in regards to such faulty notices, and
- How will the IRS prevent this issue from going into the current filing season?
The agency addressed the second question in a statement last week: “People who filed their 2019 returns but nevertheless received the CP59 notice can disregard the letter and do not need to take any action.”
However, the last question brings up a major concern that remains unsolved. The agency’s mail has been overflowing since the pandemic began last year and has continued to spill over into the current filing year, which officially began on delay on February 12.
How does the IRS plan to catch up on their delays? That’s right—plural delays. Pandemic-induced understaffing has left the agency behind the 8-ball on a variety of services including tax return processing and reviewing (both those filed electronically and by mail), live phone support, and mail processing.
At DSJ, we’re hoping and planning for a smoother filing season than last year’s. The best thing our clients can do is to stay informed on all tax news through our website and by calling our offices at 516-541-6549.
Sincerely,
Devin McQuillan
Associate, Creative Solutions
Contact:
516-541-6549 | Email