How IRS transcripts will help this tax-filing season

This tax-filing season is expected to be difficult, because the IRS works by way of thousands and thousands of unprocessed returns, based on a report from the Nationwide Taxpayer Advocate.

An error-free return could keep away from delays, and IRS transcripts will help, tax specialists say.

Whereas most who file electronically and use direct deposit will see refunds issued inside 21 days, errors can halt the method by flagging your return for a guide assessment. 

There was a flood of roughly 9 million “math error” notices from the IRS from Jan. 1 by way of July 15, 2021, with 7.4 million brought on by stimulus cost errors.

What’s worse, there have been fewer than 15,000 staff to deal with the 240 million incoming calls throughout the first half of 2021, which is one individual for each 16,000 calls.

“You wish to ensure that your returns are proper,” mentioned Tommy Lucas, a licensed monetary planner and enrolled agent at Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo in Orlando, Florida. “As a result of it will be actually troublesome to come up with anybody [at the IRS] to speak by way of your state of affairs.” 

One technique to in the reduction of on errors is to your return to match IRS data, equivalent to advance child tax credits, stimulus funds and any tax type submitted in your behalf — revenue, unemployment, Social Safety advantages, mortgage curiosity and extra.  

These types can simply get misplaced if you happen to’ve moved, and lots of firms not ship them by mail, defined Or Pikary, a CPA and tax advisor at Mazars, a tax advisory agency in Los Angeles. 

Nonetheless, if you happen to’re lacking paperwork, you may get a free IRS transcript. There are 5 kinds of transcripts, overlaying previous returns, account summaries, revenue particulars and extra.

Whereas the quickest manner is on-line, you might also request one by telephone or mail. 

“Most individuals do not know concerning the wage and revenue transcript,” mentioned Lucas.

And it might be significantly useful if you happen to’re a gig employee or unbiased contractor with dozens of jobs, monitoring down a number of 1099-NEC types to confirm your revenue, he mentioned. 

Nonetheless, the wage and revenue transcript additionally contains different data, equivalent to well being financial savings account particulars, that will not be full till July, according to the IRS.

The transcript might also be useful if you happen to refinanced your mortgage final yr and have curiosity statements from multiple firm, Pikary mentioned.

“That might be a deduction that you simply’re lacking,” he warned.

Furthermore, IRS transcripts are one other technique to test for fraudulent exercise, Pikary mentioned, and the earlier you discover, the quicker you may report the issue.

Nonetheless, you need to use the Transaction Codes Pocket Guide to test any line gadgets which may be unclear. And if you happen to’re nonetheless unsure, you may assessment your transcript with a tax skilled.

“You positively do not wish to be guessing this yr,” Lucas added.