The government shutdown has been going on for two weeks, and it might affect when you get your tax refund.
For the past two weeks, 800,000 federal employees are either furloughed or working without pay (in some circumstances).
As of this moment, roughly 12% of IRS employees are expected to work through the shutdown. What this practically means is that the IRS will operate slower than they usually do. The IRS is creating contingencies to deal with this issue, but it’s the IRS, so it’s unlikely that whatever plan they do will actually help taxpaying Americans.
According to an article published by CNBC.com:
“A spokesman for the IRS would not speculate on how long the shutdown would have to last in order to result in a delay of refunds.
However, millions of taxpayers tend to be early birds and submit their returns as soon as they can. Households might need the refunds to help pay off remaining holiday debt or just to bolster their savings.
Last year, the IRS kicked off the filing season on Jan. 29.
By the end of that week — Feb. 2 — the taxman received 18.3 million returns and processed 6.1 million refunds, with an average refund of $2,035.
In all, the IRS received 154.4 million returns by Nov. 23 of last year, the most recent date available, and issued an average refund of $2,899.
Providers of tax prep services say they are ready to receive early bird returns.”
Whether you owe money to the IRS or you have a State tax debt, our staff of Enrolled Agents and Tax Professionals can help you! We have over 50 years of experience negotiating with the IRS in all 50 States.
Call The Tax Defense Group today!