The IRS has admitted it still has more than 11 million returns from last year (2020) to review! Yes, they cashed your check or accepted your direct deposit, but for one reason or another those returns (mostly paper, but some electronic) are still waiting to be processed.

In fact, they started sending out CP80 notices, telling people they had a “credit’ in their account, but no return on file! So they asked people to “re-file” their 2020 return. Big mistake! The IRS quickly retracted that request, advised to ignore the CP80 notice, and just “be patient.”

Now, that lack of 2020 review at the IRS is causing problems for some people trying to file their current 2021 returns, electronically. To gain access to file, you might be asked for last year’s Adjusted Gross Income to verify your identity! And since your return hasn’t been reviewed, you still can’t get in!

Worse, you still can’t speak directly to the IRS. And the “where’s my refund” feature on their website is not regularly updated.

Here are a few tips if you encounter that problem:

1. Create your own ID.Me account on the IRS website to get the absolute latest news on your status. BUT, this isn’t easy to do. There is no “button” on the home page to create this account! Only a “sign in” button! Click on that button — and it will eventually take you to THIS PAGE — where you can actually “create” an account.

It’s easy to do that. And now you’ll have the same info as any IRS rep would —if you could get them on the phone — which you can’t!

2. IF you need to enter last year’s AGI for any reason (such as to verify your identity) and your 2020 return was not yet reviewed (which you’ll see in your Id.Me account), then try entering “0” (zero). Sometimes that works.
And if it doesn’t work, try entering your AGI from the PREVIOUS YEAR (2019) because that might be the last return they have on file!

And if that still doesn’t work, post on my blog. I’m going to “collect’ these stories and pass them on, without names — to let the IRS know just how frustrated people are!