IRS employees face huge backlog, delays in tax returns

The Internal Revenue Service has returned from the government shutdown and is facing a huge backlog. IRS officials told lawmakers they have nearly five million unanswered taxpayer letters, plus delays in training and hiring, as they face the new tax season.

A local IRS employee told Action News Jax employees are happy to be back at the downtown office, but it comes with several weeks’ worth of paperwork. Reporter Elizabeth Pace saws a security officer telling people the IRS office is not seeing anyone Monday.

“Just can’t get through to them to find any information,” Coco, who did not provide her last name, said. “Then you get a notice that you owe. So I’m here again trying to figure out what I owe and why.”

Coco is one of six people who came out of the IRS building with frustration Monday. She said she received an order to pay with a deadline during the shutdown. She said she is worried about being penalized.

“You can’t get information and this is my third trip,” Coco said. “Now I have to come back another day because they’re not seeing anyone today. So that’s kind of, like, very inconvenient.”

“I’ve been facing a lot of problems with my IP plan, which is has to do with identity theft,” Samantha Peace said. “I took my time off of my job to come down here to try to get the situation fixed.”

STORY: IRS announces tax break for everyone: An estimated tax withholding penalty waiver 

Peace said her identity was stolen, and she has been waiting for the government to reopen to get it fixed. A security officer told her they will begin to see people Tuesday, Jan. 29.

“I was down here trying to fix it so I don’t have to be penalized for it,” Peace said. “I wasted my time, I wasted money, I wasted gas to come down here and do this and they’re not even open.”

Action News Jax reached out to the IRS to learn more on delays and is waiting to hear back.

Action News Jax consumer Aaviser Clark Howard found ways to easily file tax returns to make the process quicker.

He recommended filing taxes online. A person can do it for free using the IRS Free Form Program, found here. This will give access to free software and navigate through the new 1040 tax form.

If a taxpayer chooses to use paper mail to file taxes, it must be approved through a tax preparer.

The deadline to file taxes is April 15, unless the taxpayer has filed for an extension.

Here are some articles you might enjoy from Clark.com:

• 8 big misconceptions about the new tax law
• Here are the new 2019 tax rates & income brackets
• See your estimated 2019 tax refund schedule

Cox Media Group