# Federal Income Taxes **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 30, 2020, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-income-taxes/913786 "2020-06-30T13:59:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2020, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-income-taxes/913786/1 "2020-06-30T13:59:49Z")
I MAILED our federal income taxes on March 24, 2020. I know, you will all ask why didn’t I submit them electronically. I’ve always mailed them and have never had an issue, but that will be the last time I mail them. We are due a refund which I have still not received. Now I’m afraid the tax forms were not received by the IRS. I’ve used the IRS app to check on the status of my refund but I keep getting a message stating: Refund Status Error. Information does not match. Please reenter. Which I have been doing 2 or 3 times a week. I’ve tried calling the IRS and can get nowhere. It’s just recordings that ask me the same questions the app does. I thought maybe because of the virus and the stimulus checks that the IRS offices are way behind but I read online that none of that should affect tax returns and refunds. Refunds should be received within 6 weeks. It also could be that my refund was lost in the mail. I don’t know what to do. Should I resubmit my returns since they’re not due until 7/15? Or will that really foul things up? ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2020, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-income-taxes/913786/2 "2020-06-30T14:33:49Z")
Your return is probably there safe and sound, but the IRS is working on a [huge pile of unopened mail](https://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2020/06/19/irs-faces-huge-backlog-of-unopened-mail-as-workforce-returns/#7cb21d9830bd) right now. They shut down offices due to the virus so the mail wasn’t being opened. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2020, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-income-taxes/913786/3 "2020-06-30T15:35:08Z")
Obvious question, are you sure you’re entering all the information exactly as it matches your return? Biggest concern would be someone else filing a tax return with your SSN. You could try request a tax transcript: > **[Get Transcript | Internal Revenue Service](https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript)** > >   > > > High Demand for Get Transcript > > Get Transcript information is updated once per day, usually overnight. There’s no need to check more often. If nothing comes up, then they probably haven’t processed it yet. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2020, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-income-taxes/913786/4 "2020-06-30T19:02:21Z")
Thanks to both of you! I keep telling myself they’re probably swamped but this has been weighing on my mind for a couple of months. I have entered everything correctly. Believe me, I’ve made sure. I’m in the process of getting a transcript but have to wait for a code to come through the mail. 😞 I asked the accountant we use for the company I work for. She said to mail it again (certified) with a cover letter explaining the issue, that it was mailed earlier and give them all of my contact info. 🤞🏽 🤞🏽 🤞🏽 ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2020, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-income-taxes/913786/5 "2020-07-01T08:43:14Z")
I’m just going throw in here that if the IRS is late paying you a refund they have to pay you interest. That did, in fact, happen to me one year - the IRS was late. Of course, the interest they pay you is not as much as the interest you might have to pay them if you’re late. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2020, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-income-taxes/913786/6 "2020-07-01T10:20:46Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > Biggest concern would be someone else filing a tax return with your SSN. You could try request a tax transcript: That’s his point – There is no avenue to request anything. IRS is now incommunicado. He has seen the future and it is now. Humans have been replaced by machines, who do not respomd. Every week, I am told to “try again later” at some site or other, or on a cheerful recording. Since long before Covid, that’s just the current excuse. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2020, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-income-taxes/913786/7 "2020-07-01T12:28:24Z")
And the State dept. is not working on passport applications as well since March. Unless they started up recently. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2020, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-income-taxes/913786/8 "2020-07-01T14:08:24Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > That’s his point – There is no avenue to request anything. IRS is now incommunicado. The transcript request is online and different from the “where’s my refund” request. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2020, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-income-taxes/913786/9 "2020-07-01T22:10:24Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > And the State dept. is not working on passport applications as well since March. Unless they started up recently. Of course - you wouldn’t want anyone fleeing over the wall to another country. Not that there is anywhere that will take plague-ridden Americans these days anyway. [/cynical] ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2020, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-income-taxes/913786/10 "2020-07-02T03:51:34Z")
> [@TRC4941](#): > > I’ve used the IRS app to check on the status of my refund but I keep getting a message stating: Refund Status Error. Information does not match. Please reenter. Which I have been doing 2 or 3 times a week. Have you tried entering your address in all caps? A lot of people who were having trouble with the stimulus check status app said [that worked](https://www.businessinsider.com/irs-stimulus-website-error-message-trick-use-all-caps-2020-4). I hope you find out something soon. I didn’t file (electronically) until three weeks ago and I’ve already gotten my refund by paper check. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2020, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federal-income-taxes/913786/11 "2020-07-02T14:26:02Z")
They don’t ask for an address. Just SSN, filing status and refund amount. The address issue was when checking the status of your stimulus check.