Unemployment Income Tax Refund

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Cheez-It Guy
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by Cheez-It Guy »

Summer is officially over. Come on, IRS!
AverageGolfer
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by AverageGolfer »

Still nothing from federal. I received the wife's Illinois unemployment refund months ago.
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Cheez-It Guy
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by Cheez-It Guy »

Same for me. I had to mail an amended state return, but that was sent refunded quickly. I guess I just keep waiting. Not sure what complexity would be in my return other than I did itemize.
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Cheez-It Guy
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by Cheez-It Guy »

FYI for others in the same situation, now that it's mid-October and the guidance for these adjustments was "summer", I did decide to call the IRS this morning just to make sure there were no issues with my account, and to confirm that I did not need to file an amended return for some reason unknown to me. I called right after opening at 7:00 AM Eastern.

+1-800-829-1040

Used phone tree selections 1-2-3 in that order. The wait to speak to a person was essentially nothing. I was transferred to another operator with only a very short hold. Went quickly through verification process (SSN, name, address, DOB). 5-7 minute hold for them to review the account. They confirmed that it was still open for review, and advised to continue waiting. Declined to offer any potential timeline, which I can understand. I don't actually have any issue waiting, but I know that people and systems are fallible, so when current status was in conflict with last available published guidance, I thought a check-up was appropriate. Maybe we'll see something by 2022? Anyway, first verbal interaction with the IRS went much more quickly and smoothly than I might have guessed. Patience and politeness are helpful, as is preparing to be frustrated to allow for pleasant surprise with anything exceeding those initial low expectations.
capen2468
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by capen2468 »

I am still waiting. Does anyone have an update?
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Cheez-It Guy
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by Cheez-It Guy »

capen2468 wrote: Wed Oct 20, 2021 7:38 am I am still waiting. Does anyone have an update?
Yes. I just posted one. See above.
capen2468
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Location: greenville nc

Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by capen2468 »

Thanks for the update . I called the number also . I was told my return was reviewed and and I should get my return when the next wave goes out . They didn’t give me a date but said it should be within a month or so.
mnnice
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by mnnice »

Every time this thread pops up I am happy we procrastinated on our 2021 taxes and filed after the unemployment taxation rules changed. :wink:
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Cheez-It Guy
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by Cheez-It Guy »

mnnice wrote: Wed Oct 20, 2021 8:37 am Every time this thread pops up I am happy we procrastinated on our 2021 taxes and filed after the unemployment taxation rules changed. :wink:
Well, I knew I had a refund coming (exclusive of the later unemployment changes) due to donations to my donor-advised fund, and I like to file early and get it out of the way and off my mind, and beat the rush as well as minimize the chances of someone filing a false return against my SSN (hasn't happened yet, knock wood). Trust me that I procrastinate in many other areas of life. I appreciate the additional refund, but on behalf of all involved, please stop changing the tax laws during filing season!
capen2468
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Location: greenville nc

Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by capen2468 »

I finally got my tax refund today . I filed early before they changed the rule about taxing unemployment.
AverageGolfer
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by AverageGolfer »

I received my direct deposit today! Filed in March
Brewman
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by Brewman »

Mine came today - filed in Feb
mggray17
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by mggray17 »

Got mine yesterday also. Single filer, filed in March.
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Cheez-It Guy
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by Cheez-It Guy »

October 27 direct deposit. Keep hope alive!
Nebraska_Drought
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by Nebraska_Drought »

My 19 yo son just received a check in the mail on 11/1 to finalize his federal adjustment. It took most of the year, but it finally processed and he was happy with a "bonus" he was not expecting. (He put it into his Roth IRA btw)
GettingComfortable
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by GettingComfortable »

Filed, on paper, a simple 2020 return in mid-February; no UI refund for the DW yet. Did get the regular (small) refund quickly, though, many months ago.

Stimulus funds were direct-deposited, so they do have our account info. So DD or check expected?
maxq
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by maxq »

Anyone else still waiting? I e-filed via H&R Block in February 2020 and it processed quickly. I filed single, standard deduction, pension and IRA distro, interest, dividends, unemployment compensation, and small capital gains. Nothing complicated, but I'm still waiting for the unemployment tax refund. :-)
Asyouwish
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by Asyouwish »

Nothing complicated, but I'm still waiting for the unemployment tax refund.
This says another round before the end of the year. https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-issues ... mpensation
GettingComfortable
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by GettingComfortable »

Thanks for the info. Being how my return was simple, I'm surprised that a refund wasn't made early on.

So, for S&Gs I called the IRS. About a 30 minute wait time. Answer, not surprisingly: Still in process. I asked specficially: "Is there a way to tell if the return was already flagged for this refund, or did such a flag need to be added?" The response was it was already flagged, and they just need more time.
ditb
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by ditb »

Sorry for the Necro, but I don't see a current thread.

I filed via freetaxusa single, standard deduction, etc.

Still haven't received the unemployment tax refund for when I was furloughed that year.

Heres to 5 bucks of interest... :sharebeer
GettingComfortable
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by GettingComfortable »

Still no refund.

Anyone, despite the IRS saying not to, file an amended 2020 return late in 2021 to force the issue? What was the result if you did?
maxq
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by maxq »

GettingComfortable wrote: Sun Jan 30, 2022 9:59 pm Still no refund.

Anyone, despite the IRS saying not to, file an amended 2020 return late in 2021 to force the issue? What was the result if you did?
Well, the IRS seems to have gone totally silent on when the lagging refunds might be issued. My neighbor is a staffer for a Congressman and says they've had dozens of constituent requests for help on this issue, but the IRS is also non-responsive to them. I don't envy the IRS workload with ever-decreasing staffing, but I'd think they would at least find the time to provide a status or expected timelines. So, I guess I'm forced to add to their workload by filing an amended 2020 return to claim the refund. :beer
GettingComfortable
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by GettingComfortable »

I haven't yet, but the 1040-X form is printed out; never have needed to do one before. Online, the IRS says if filed the 1040 on paper, the 1040-X form must be submitted on paper too.

Q to all: If a regular refund was already received (before the UI exemption was passed in the spring of 2022), how is that amount shown on 1040-X? Or does someone just claim the full refund amount, and the IRS will automatically adjust it (downward) for monies already paid for that year? On line 18, as a <negative> amount? {Update: Figured this out. There is a separate line near the end of 1040-X for prior refunds made.}
GettingComfortable
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by GettingComfortable »

FYI -- I filed both a fed and state admended 2020 returns in late February. I didn't feel comfortable filing the state's only without the fed's, or the IRS's promised (but now very late) automatic refund completed.

Nothing yet from the feds, but my state sent its refund in two weeks.
maxq
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by maxq »

I'm still debating whether I should file a 1040x for the refund on my2020 taxes, or if I should continue to sit tight. I don't know if the IRS thinks they completed the task and have moved on, or if they are still working through the refund backlog. Has anyone received a refund of the unemployment tax since 1 Jan 2022?
adzio
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by adzio »

I'm in the same boat, had filed 2020 taxes early before the ARP Act was enacted, and to this day I haven't received any refund/notice on the difference in tax after the exclusion.

Has anyone had luck calling IRS and getting any sort of update from a human being? The IRS website and fact sheet on this were updated as late as last week, but with nothing seemingly new: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/2020-unemp ... orm-1040-x

On top of it I changed banks this year so if IRS in fact do what they had spelled out they'd do, my refund may be even more delayed as it bounces and they (hopefully) follow up by reissuing a check. Perhaps this routing change is an excuse alone for calling them and prodding a bit.
donall
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by donall »

VITA volunteer again-
I’m seeing quite a few interest forms from the IRS, which seem to be because of the delay in receiving the increased unemployment tax benefits of 2021.
Asyouwish
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by Asyouwish »

maxq wrote: Sun Mar 20, 2022 3:27 pm I'm still debating whether I should file a 1040x for the refund on my2020 taxes, or if I should continue to sit tight. I don't know if the IRS thinks they completed the task and have moved on, or if they are still working through the refund backlog. Has anyone received a refund of the unemployment tax since 1 Jan 2022?
An easy way to tell is create an account at irs.gov. Then view your 2020 account transcript. If the IRS looked at your return, there would be a code 290 for zero. The date might help identify it. (There are 290 codes generated for stimulus too). So checking the date is key. If a tax decrease was warranted, a code 291 will be there and a code 846 for refund.

Remember the IRS was doing the tax decrease, but any new credits like EIC or additional CTC were not being done. Those were the responsibility of the taxpayer to amend on their own.

Also make sure you qualify for a refund. If your tax liability was zero, you might not be due any more refund. Look at line 24 of the 1040.

My opinion is to file the amended. If you prepare a 1040X and it indicates a refund, better to get that 1040X into the system sooner than later. Amended returns are taking 9 months. If by chance they do the automatic refund, the amended will just get closed a no action and sent away to storage.
ditb
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by ditb »

I've called the IRS twice in the last 3 months and both times they have said that there it is still under processing and no action is required.

Kinda frustrating that it would take them 2 years to process what should have been a very simple return.

Anyone have any success filing amended, even if they don't recommend it?

The other option is to eternally wait I guess.

:confused
Has anyone had luck calling IRS and getting any sort of update from a human being? The IRS website and fact sheet on this were updated as late as last week, but with nothing seemingly new: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/2020-unemp ... orm-1040-x
I've reached a human with about a 30 minute wait the two different times. I googled what buttons to click to get on the right hold.
adzio
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by adzio »

Thank you everyone for the updates.
Asyouwish wrote: Mon Mar 28, 2022 5:35 am An easy way to tell is create an account at irs.gov. Then view your 2020 account transcript. If the IRS looked at your return, there would be a code 290 for zero. The date might help identify it. (There are 290 codes generated for stimulus too). So checking the date is key. If a tax decrease was warranted, a code 291 will be there and a code 846 for refund.
Thanks Asyouwish for the tip - I'd rather not deal with ID.me entirely for this purpose so I guess I'll just keep on waiting.
ditb wrote: Thu Mar 31, 2022 2:49 pm Kinda frustrating that it would take them 2 years to process what should have been a very simple return.
A bit more frustrating may be that the refund money could have been used to invest in the spirit of this forum or to buy I-bonds. I wonder what the interest and the added 1099-G footwork will look like once the moneys arrive, if at all.
Alto vtsax player
GridironGems
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by GridironGems »

I have the same problem and still have not received mine.
GettingComfortable
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by GettingComfortable »

Still none from the feds for me either, despite filing an amended return. Anyone find a trick to getting the IRS to live up to its obligations?
adzio
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by adzio »

No refund check for me either to this day. I got my hopes up a few days ago when Informed Delivery reported what looked like it was going to be a check, just to find out it was an unexpected refund of my 2021 state underpayment penalty, totaling less than $10.

To date I've received a 2020 federal refund by electronic transfer and paper I-Bonds in mail for 2021, so I'm definitely "seen" and "processed" in the Fed system. Same questions here, how do we "nudge" them to send the refund or at least get an estimate for the refund amount (plus taxable interest TBD).
GettingComfortable
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by GettingComfortable »

Still none.

It would be interesting, and maybe very telling, to see a geo-/demographic map of where the unprocessed refunds are most concentrated.

If concentrated, then dig to find out if the IRS was instructed to slow/ignore which returns/locations/people/...

Any investigative reporters out there?
ditb
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by ditb »

I called the IRS about this issue I have and they advised to file an amended return for the tax year. They said that even though the system shows it should automatically refund, and they believe it should refund, the only way forward from this point is a amended tax return which should take (at least) 20 weeks.
GettingComfortable
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by GettingComfortable »

Mark the date, November 3, 2022. A miracle has occurred, at least for me. A paper-check arrived today, and for 5.67% more than my amended return requested; I read on here that an explanation letter should arrive someday, but I'll assume that interest was included.

I was expecting a direct-deposit, so I think I will wait a few days to cash their check in case there was a duplicate payment.

P.S. As described earlier in this thread, I did eventually file an amended return. IDK if that helped or hurt when I finally received the refund.
vu8
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by vu8 »

Still have not received the 2020 10200 unemployment income tax exclusion as of today November 12 2022.
ditb
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by ditb »

Still have not received anything, might try calling them again before filing amended. Utterly ridiculous.
maxq
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by maxq »

I gave up on the automatic refund mechanism back in June. I mailed a paper 1040X on 6/7/22 (I originally e-filed via H&R Block, but it would not let me e-file the amendment). I received a letter from the IRS on 1/4/23 stating that they "... made the changes you requested to your 2020 form..." and I would receive a refund check in 2 or 3 weeks if I hadn't already received it. The amount stated is exactly what I expected. The letter arrived with the flap unsealed, so I was a bit worried an accompanying check might have been lost. It shows a notice date of 1/9/2023 even though I received it a few days before that date. I received a check today, 1/11/2023 for slightly more than the refund amount indicated on the letter, so I they must have added interest. Based on the language of the letter, I believe I never would have received the refund if I had not submitted the amended return. Since the letter and check are both dated in Jan 2023, I assume I will receive a 1099-INT from the Gov't for tax year 2023.

I hope everyone else still waiting receives similar favorable results eventually! :sharebeer
GettingComfortable
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by GettingComfortable »

GettingComfortable wrote: Thu Nov 03, 2022 9:37 pm Mark the date, November 3, 2022. A miracle has occurred, at least for me. A paper-check arrived today, and for 5.67% more than my amended return requested; I read on here that an explanation letter should arrive someday, but I'll assume that interest was included.
FYI -- Never received an explanation letter from the IRS for the refund. However, I did receive recently a 1099-INT (interest-paid) tax form from them, to declare on my 2022 return.
bberris
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by bberris »

IRS is no longer automatically correcting for the unemployment payment tax exclusion, so if nothing has happened yet, you will need to file an amended return.
GettingComfortable
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Re: Unemployment Income Tax Refund

Post by GettingComfortable »

bberris wrote: Tue Jan 17, 2023 10:48 am IRS is no longer automatically correcting for the unemployment payment tax exclusion, so if nothing has happened yet, you will need to file an amended return.
FYI -- I did, a while back as described earlier in this thread.

Does the lack of an explanation letter from the IRS, after recieving the COVID UI refund check, likely indicate 1) they reprocessed my original 2020 return, or 2) they processed my 2020 amended return?
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