What to do about a Late Refund

May 01, 2014 by Karen Reed, EA
Refund Check

There could be a number of reasons for a delayed refund. The IRS may be reviewing your case to eliminate the possibility of identity theft, or it is possible that a tax audit is pending.
 

You should receive your refund within twenty one days from the date you electronically filed your return, or six weeks if you mailed in a paper return. Wait at least twenty-four hours to check the status of an efiled return and four weeks for a paper return. To access your account you will be required to provide your social security number, filing status and the exact amount of your refund.
 

Error Code 1121
 

I you checked on your refund using the IRS’s Where’s My Refund feature and received Error Code 1121, you will simply need to wait for the IRS to process your refund. The agency may or may not contact you for more information, depending on what it finds in its review.
 

In the Process of Review
 

If you find out that your return is “in the process of a review,” it could be a sign that a tax audit is coming soon. All you can do at this point is wait to receive an audit or notice letter – or hopefully your refund.

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Karen Reed, EA

 

During her years as an audit representative for TaxAudit, Karen successfully defended the company’s members throughout the entire federal and state audit processes, handled cases assigned to US Tax Court, and developed procedures to make the audit process easier for taxpayers. Karen attributes a great deal of her tax acumen to the six tax seasons she spent as a return reviewer, analyzing thousands of returns. Responding in writing to questions from taxpayers, she became familiar with the common mistakes self-preparers make. Karen was previously the manager of the Tax Education and Research Department and the Director of Communications at TaxAudit. Her tax advice has been featured in U.S. News and World Report, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, and other publications.


 

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