When you electronically file your taxes, the IRS confirms each tax return with an Acknowledgement Record. It will either indicate “Accepted” or “Rejected.”
- A “Rejected” status will include a description of what needs to be fixed on the return. You'll have to re-file, but you won't have to pay again with 1040.com.
- An "Accepted" status confirms that the government received your return and accepted it for processing.
Your e-file provider, whether software or tax professional, receives the Acknowledgment Record and can inform you of the status.
When you file with 1040.com, our sophisticated transmission technology formats and encrypts your return for secure, direct delivery to the IRS.
As soon as we get word that your tax return has been reviewed and accepted by the IRS, we’ll email you to let you know whether your return has been accepted or rejected. If it's been rejected, we'll show you what needs to be fixed when you log back in. We're in your corner!
If the IRS suspects that a tax return with your name on it is potentially the result of identity theft, the agency will send you a special letter, called a 5071C Letter. This letter is to notify you that the agency received a tax return with your name and Social Security number that it believes may not be yours. The letter asks you to take specific steps to verify your identity and confirm whether or not the return is actually yours.
How Do I Comply With Verification?
The IRS offers only two ways to verify your identity:
- Online at the IRS Identity Verification Service website
- By phone at the toll-free number listed on your 5071C Letter
Only those who receive a 5071C Letter should use the verification system. The letters are sent to you via U.S. mail. They are never emailed, and the IRS does not initiate verification requests by phone.
The IRS prefers that taxpayers use the online system; because phone callers may experience delays due to the high volume of calls the IRS receives. The phone number on your letter can be used only for verification purposes, not for any other tax issues.
How Will I Be Asked to Verify My Identity?
The ID Verify website or phone system asks questions that only you can answer correctly. What you will need:
- Your previous year’s tax return
- Your current year’s tax return
- All supporting forms and schedules
What Happens After I Finish the Verification Process?
If the verification proves you are the person named on the return and that you personally filed the return, the return will be processed. After successful verification, it takes about 6 weeks to complete processing.
The return will be rejected and investigated as identity theft/tax fraud if:
- Verification fails to confirm your identity or that you filed the return
- If the verification process is not completed, or can’t be completed
Respond to all requests from the IRS to validate your identity in order to avoid automatic rejection of what could be a valid tax return.
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Once you’ve put in the time and effort required to file your tax return, you want to make sure your work isn’t lost in cyberspace or in the mail. If you’re due a refund, you want your forms to arrive safely and be processed as quickly as possible. The Internal Revenue Service offers several ways for you to verify that your return has been received and that your IRS refund status is being processed.
Finding More e-Filing
If you file your tax return electronically, either through third-party tax software or the IRS’ Free File system, you will receive electronic confirmation that your tax return has been received and accepted. According to the IRS, it promptly begins processing IRS tax refund information as soon as it is submitted and accepted. If they do not accept your return, the IRS will let you know why, usually because of incomplete information. You can correct any errors and file the return again. If you do not receive a confirmation or a rejection, you should refile the return.
Check Where's My Refund?
Whether you filed a paper or an e-filed return, if you’re expecting a refund, the IRS offers the Where’s My Refund? site. You’ll need your Social Security number, your filing status and the amount of the refund you are due to receive. If you filed a joint return, you can use either spouse's Social Security number. The IRS advises you to wait three weeks before checking the status of mailed returns and 72 hours before following up on e-filed returns.
Read More: When Can You Get That Tax Refund?
Use the IRS2Go Mobile App
You can download the free IRS2Go mobile app for iPhone or Android and check the status of your return from your smartphone or tablet. Enter your Social Security number, your filing status and the amount of your refund and you’ll be able to see where your return is in the processing chain. Instructions for the IRS2Go app recommend waiting 24 hours after you file your return electronically and four weeks after you mail a paper return to check the status.
Call the IRS Refund Hotline
You may check the status of your expected tax refund by calling the IRS Refund Hotline at 800-829-1954. This automated system will provide your refund status if you supply your Social Security number, filing status and refund amount due.
Report and Verify Your Taxes
The IRS Where's My Refund? hotline, app and website allow you to check only the status of a refund. If you had to pay taxes and you filed a paper return, your avenues for verifying that your return was received are fewer. If you paid the taxes you owed via check, watch your bank account to see when the check has cleared.
You may mail your tax return certified mail, return receipt requested. Or you could send it Priority Mail, which will provide you with a tracking number you can use to verify the return’s receipt.
Tips
Due to limited staff as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, mailing paper returns may take considerably longer than usual to be processed. E-filing results in much faster processing.
Additionally, you can submit your paper return to a representative at a local IRS field office and get an "accepted" time stamp, or ask the rep to look up the status of your previously-filed return.
Read More: Tax Return Changes in 2020: 7 Things That Are Different This Year
References
- IRS: About Where’s My Refund?
- IRS: IRS2Go Mobile App
- IRS: Where to File Paper Returns With or Without a Payment
- Internal Revenue Service. "Relief for Taxpayers," Page 3. Accessed Apr. 8, 2020.
- Internal Revenue Service. "Economic Impact Payment Information Center." Accessed Aug. 30, 2020.
- Internal Revenue Service. "Filing Season Statistics for March 2020." Accessed Apr. 8, 2020.
- Internal Revenue Service. "IRS kicks off 2020 tax filing season." Accessed Apr. 8, 2020.
- Intrnal Revenue Service. "Tax Day Now July 15." Accessed Apr. 8, 2020.
- U.S. Congress. "H.R.748 - CARES Act." Accessed Apr. 8, 2020.
- Internal Revenue Service. "Where's My Refund?" Accessed Apr. 8, 2020.
- Internal Revenue Service. "Tax Season Refund Frequently Asked Questions." Accessed March 1, 2020.
- Internal Revenue Service. "1040 and 2019 1040-SR," Pages 14, 60. Accessed March 1, 2020.
- Internal Revenue Service. "Interim Results of the 2019 Filing Season," Page 12. Accessed March 1, 2020.
- Federal Trade Commission. "Filing A Complaint." Accessed Aug. 30, 2020.
- Internal Revenue Service. "Topic No. 308 Amended Returns." Accessed March 1, 2020.
- Bureau of the Fiscal Service. "Tax Refund Offset." Accessed March 1, 2020.
- Taxpayer Advocate Service. "Refund Offsets." Accessed March 1, 2020.
Resources
- IRS: Where's My Refund?
Writer Bio
Cynthia Myers is the author of numerous novels and her nonfiction work has appeared in publications ranging from "Historic Traveler" to "Texas Highways" to "Medical Practice Management." She has a degree in economics from Sam Houston State University.