Sarah Moreno, El Nuevo Herald, Miami

May 11 — Many Americans are still waiting for their tax refund from the IRS, which this year is returning an average of $ 2,873. But if they are going to need something before they get hold of that money, which is so much needed in a year of economic restrictions, it is patience because the IRS has a considerable delay.

The tax agency had 31 million tax returns to process before the tax filing deadline of May 17, said the Taxpayer Advocate Service, an independent arm of the IRS focused on taxpayers’ rights. Add to that 2 million returns that have accumulated since April, national taxpayer advocate Erin M. Collins told CBS MoneyWatch.

How long do refunds take?

Generally, taxpayers who file their taxes electronically can receive their refund between three weeks and 21 days later. The IRS indicates that they can receive the refund even faster if they choose direct deposit for payment.

Taxpayers who file paper returns wait longer, and refunds are generally issued six to eight weeks from the date the IRS receives their return in the mail.

This extraordinary year when COVID-19 has caused so much delay, many taxpayers may have to wait more than 21 days. The agency deals with a different landscape with changes derived from the three stimulus checks, which in turn create more room for error. There are also many people who have not yet filed their taxes.

One of the most common mistakes is related to the “Recovery Refund Credit”. Some people are incorrectly completing the Form 1040 line that allows them to adjust their stimulus payments if they did not receive all the funds to which they were entitled. They are usually claiming the wrong amount on the form.

In that case, the IRS must do a review, and an employee must check the refund against the agency’s records of stimulus payments.

Other errors on the tax return occur in any year and are not related to the pandemic:

– The name and Social Security number on the tax return may not match what is on the IRS record.

– A taxpayer did not sign the tax return or did not include any accompanying documents, such as the W-2 form, or other proof of income from it.

– The taxpayer may have made math errors that require additional time for the IRS to correct.

To check the status of your refund online in the first instance, use the Where’s My Refund? Tool.

What to do if you haven’t received your refund

If it has been at least four weeks since you filed your return, you can check the status of your refund by calling the IRS TeleTax System at 1-800-829-4477. When you call, you will need to provide this information: Social Security number that appears on the return or Taxpayer Identification Number, marital status for purposes of the return, and the amount of the refund.

If the IRS has processed your return, the system will tell you the date the refund will be sent to you.

TeleTax refund information is updated every weekend. If you do not get a date for your refund by doing so, please wait until next week before calling again.

Original note: El IRS tiene un retraso de millones. Cuándo esperar el reembolso de los impuestos (msn.com)