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Government

Software Glitch Could Delay Your Tax Refund by Up to Six Weeks — Find Out if You Are Affected

Mar. 14, 2013 9:39pm Jason Howerton

Credit: AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Internal Revenue Service says 660,000 taxpayers will have their refunds delayed by up to six weeks because of a problem with the software they used to file their tax returns.

The delay affects people claiming education tax credits who filed returns between Feb. 14 and Feb. 22.

H&R Block, the tax preparing giant, says that some of its customers were affected but the company has resolved the problem. A limited number of other software companies have also had problems, but IRS spokeswoman Michelle Eldridge declined to name them.

Turbo Tax customers were not affected, spokeswoman Julie Miller said.

The IRS expects to process about 150 million tax returns from individuals, so less than 1 percent will be affected. About 6.6 million taxpayers are expected to claim the education tax credits.

The software problem was on Form 8863, which is used to claim the American Opportunity credit, which provides up to $2,500 to help pay for college expenses, and the Lifetime Learning credit, which provides up to $2,000.

The form includes a series of questions. On some of the questions, if the taxpayer answered “no,” the answer was left blank when the form was electronically transmitted to the IRS.

H&R Block said the forms were filled out correctly but the answers were dropped when the forms were transmitted to the IRS.

“It’s important to note that the tax returns were prepared accurately. The error occurred in e-file processing,” H&R Block said in a statement. “We are communicating directly with our impacted clients to assure them that we are doing everything we can to expedite their returns.”

The IRS has long had a goal of increasing the number of people who file their tax returns electronically. The agency promises faster refunds for people who file electronically and have their refunds deposited directly into bank accounts. Most taxpayers who file this way can get refunds within 21 days, the agency says.

In 2012, nearly 120 million taxpayers electronically filed their federal tax returns with the IRS. That’s about 81 percent of all individual returns.

Taxpayers can check the status of their refund on the agency’s “Where’s my refund?” website. The IRS says the status of a refund is only updated once a day, usually at night. Last month, the agency asked taxpayers not to check the website more than once a day because it was being overwhelmed by eager taxpayers.

Featured image via AFP/Getty

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Comments (16)

Pete838
Posted on May 10, 2013 at 12:23pm
Have been waiting for 3 months now. The 4-6 weeks has come and gone and gone again. Still nothing.

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watashbuddyfriend
Posted on March 15, 2013 at 10:35am
It is not likely that the delay is caused by software, it is a gimmick used by the IRS to delay the refunds, as part of the Obama tactics!

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GuruMeditation
Posted on March 15, 2013 at 10:26am
I always pay them so I couldn’t care less.

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TheBurningTruth
Posted on March 15, 2013 at 6:36am
NEVER overpay if you can work the withholding or estimated taxes that way. Owing a small amount means they CAN’T delay it. If you are SUPPOSED to get a refund, apply it to next year’s taxes and reduce your withholding or estimated taxes by the appropriate amount. The can’t “delay” the credit against next year and you get to keep that amount NOW and on YOUR schedule.

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bigdaddyt46
Posted on March 15, 2013 at 2:02am
next year’s tax form

1) how much did you earn?

2) send it in!!!!

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phrogdriver
Posted on March 14, 2013 at 11:27pm
Since I can’t even remember the last time I got ay of my money back, I really can’t sympathize with this.

Oh, but I ALWAYS pay on time. Funny how the rules that apply to me, don’t apply to them.

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- Ella
  Posted on March 15, 2013 at 5:23am
  I’m still waiting for my 2011 refund. My accountant says 16 of his clients who were filed electronically
  had this problem. Now there are 4 left who were not refunded and I am one of them. I was surprised to find out that a friend of mine had this happen to her too. She was lucky. She got her 2011 refund in Jan. 2012. I was hoping I would get my 2012 refund by Jan 2013. No luck. I’m still waiting. This is the first time in over 40 years of filing that the refund was not received by may of the same year I filed. I usually file in Feb-early March. The government is faling apart. If Obama care isn’t repealed somehow it will be worse than a nightmare to get anything done let alone a tax refund.
  
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Stoic one
Posted on March 14, 2013 at 10:52pm
Well our refund has already been placed in our bank. get it back as quick as possible – they might spend it….

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4xeverything
Posted on March 14, 2013 at 10:51pm
This is BS. We just received our W2s from the gov. They were “backed up”. Now there’s a glitch my @$$. I’ll bet there’ll be a significantly higher number of audits this year as well. I wouldn’t doubt that next year they suspend tax returns.

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- COHeinrich
  Posted on March 22, 2013 at 6:41am
  Unless you are a government employee, it isn’t their responsibility to send you a W2. Your employeer must issue them. Your employer must have them post marked by jan 31 or you can report them to the irs
  
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repairsea
Posted on March 14, 2013 at 10:46pm
I already received mine. So…. don’t care.

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- reiki650
  Posted on March 15, 2013 at 9:56am
  Maybe you don’t, but I do! 6 weeks without a refund when you are counting on it is F@#$ed up!!! Some of us need it for things like fuel oil or to pay back someone else!
  
  The IRS used to be the most efficient government agency of all of them (sadly.) Now they are just another Obama screw-up! I’m sure tax seizures won’t stop with this kind of excuse!
  
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DADDYWOREAWHITEHAT
Posted on March 14, 2013 at 10:13pm
Only 675000 identity theft fraud refunds @approx 10 grand a piece, but hey the IRS is on top of delaying your refund because you went to college. Doesn’t make sense but i do believe it.

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The-Monk
Posted on March 14, 2013 at 9:58pm
Obama, IRS, education credits, refunds, software, glitch…..

No way anything could go wrong here.

I foresee a bunch of Chicago residents getting a bigger refund.

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- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on March 14, 2013 at 10:10pm
  Hi MONK, I see a lot of people in Mexico getting even larger returns.
  I pay the least amount necessary to the government and never look forward to a refund. I refuse to give them an interest free loan for up to a year. Yeah, I occasionally owe some at the end of the year, but I made interest on it, and not them. I do usually get a return, but if I add a few bucks to it I can take the family with my son’s girlfriend out for a decent meal with it. I learned that decades ago.
  
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- CatB
  Posted on March 14, 2013 at 10:22pm
  Living off savings .. in the Obama “recovery” .. til I find a job .. they are making nothing off me .. today taxes done .. I owe nothing .. thanks Obama — btw .. I would rather have a job and pay.
  
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