It’s a tax season unlike any other: As millions of Americans dutifully file their returns, the Trump administration is calling for the abolition of the Internal Revenue Service and plans to fire as many as 7,000 workers — all while Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency is seeking access to detailed taxpayer information.
It is not surprising that many taxpayers are wondering how this may affect their returns and refunds. But despite the uncertainty, tax experts say individuals shouldn’t change their behavior — the sooner you file, the better. There are also several things that taxpayers can do to try to prevent their return from being entangled in the system and avoid potential delays.
“There is no possible way there won’t be a reduction in service, given the I.R.S. has been trying to hire employees and they haven’t even filled all of their openings,” said Tom O’Saben, director of tax content and government relations at the National Association of Tax Professionals.
Many of the fired employees were part of the agency’s compliance teams, which deal with auditing and collections, though some were also reportedly at call centers, too.
More than 160 million individual returns are expected to be filed this year. Those that have already been filed are winding their way through the system as usual, though taxpayers appear to be taking a bit longer to file: More than 33 million federal returns were filed as of Feb. 14, down about 5 percent from a year earlier, according to the I.R.S. website. And about 32.8 million of them had been processed, also down roughly 5 percent.
The average refund amount was $2,169, down 32 percent from $3,207 last year. The numbers tend to even out as more returns come in, the agency said on its website. But refunds are also lower, in part, because they don’t include the first wave of returns claiming the earned-income tax credit and the additional child tax credit, which cannot be issued before mid-February.
Here are some questions to consider.
Is there anything I can do to avoid delays?
Roughly 91 percent of taxpayers file their returns electronically, according to the agency. If you are among the 10 percent who don’t, now is a great time to start, whether that means working with a professional or using tax software or the agency’s free Direct File system, if you’re eligible. That’s the most important step you can take to avoid delays; also be sure to use direct deposit for your refund, and verify your routing and bank account numbers.
Could my refund be delayed?
At the moment, things are moving along as usual. It usually takes about 21 days to process a return and for a refund to be processed, according to the agency’s website.
“Every filing season for the mast vast majority of taxpayers, their returns go through swimmingly,” said Nina E. Olson, executive director of the Center for Taxpayer Rights, an advocacy organization, and a former taxpayer advocate at the I.R.S.
Each return goes through a set of electronic filters, but it can get stuck or rejected if an issue is flagged — if someone has filed a return with your Social Security number, for example, or your children have already been claimed by a former spouse. Returns may also be flagged when people forget to attach a specific schedule or claim credits they are ineligible for, or the system detects a math error, which is common.
Those returns are set aside to be reviewed or even audited before a refund is issued, which may delay it. “Some of those potential issues are within your control, so make sure you have all of the required forms on your return so it doesn’t get slowed up,” Ms. Olson said. “Be really careful of how you are entering data if you are using software — check it, double-check it and triple-check it so you don’t encounter a delay here.”
How can I check the status of my return and potential refund?
You can use the I.R.S. website’s Where’s My Refund? tool on the IRS2Go mobile app.
The I.R.S. has used some of the funding from an $80 billion modernization project to improve those systems and provide more specific information about refund status, Ms. Olson said.
Are specific types of returns more likely to be delayed?
If your identity has been stolen, for example, it can take the I.R.S. more than a year to resolve the issue, according to the agency’s website. The I.R.S. said it was taking steps to reduce that time to 120 days, but it’s unclear if the staff cuts will affect those efforts.
Some tax experts said meaningful staff cuts weren’t expected until after tax filing season, in late May. That is when service could begin to noticeably suffer, though plenty of returns are still being worked on, whether it’s to resolve errors or to process returns for the millions of taxpayers who file for extensions, which have an Oct. 15 deadline.
I’m concerned about privacy and data security.
After Mr. Musk and his team of aides sought access to sensitive taxpayer data and fundamental systems at the U.S. Treasury, 19 attorneys general sued, and a federal judge temporarily blocked the access.
The level of risk in this situation is unclear, but we know our data is always vulnerable, an issue that my colleagues and I recently addressed in an article about how to back up all of your data and documents. (Certain protections are baked into the law, too: The I.R.S. generally isn’t permitted to share taxpayer information with other federal agencies, while the executive branch is not supposed to influence audits and other investigations.)
The I.R.S. also recommends that everyone get an identity protection personal identification number, or IP PIN, a unique six-digit number to verify your identity when you file a return.
It is also wise to familiarize yourself with the latest scams, some of which involve criminals who impersonate I.R.S. employees. It is also helpful to remember that the agency’s first point of contact with any taxpayer is usually through the mail — not text, email or phone calls.
Will the new Direct File system be affected?
After receiving high marks from taxpayers after it was introduced last year, the I.R.S.’s free online filing service has been expanded to taxpayers in 25 states. But as my colleague Ann Carrns reported in a recent column, the offering has faced opposition from commercial tax-preparation software firms and Republicans in Congress.
The new Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, pledged that Direct File would remain operational for the current tax season and that he would study the program further.
What if I need to call the I.R.S.?
Tax professionals suggest calling earlier in the morning, or as soon as the phone lines open at 7 a.m. (local time). Later in the week is usually better, while Monday is often a busy day.
If you do reach someone at the I.R.S., be mindful of the stressful circumstances that the person be may working under.
What should I do if I have a problem and cannot reach anyone?
If your refund is really delayed, contact your representatives in the House or the Senate and ask him or her to open a case at the Taxpayer Advocate Service.
“It will also draw to Congress’s attention the harm that cutting the I.R.S. budget does to their constituents,” Ms. Olson said. “You can beat up the I.R.S., but a lot of it is: There is that much work and not enough people to do it.”
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