More than half a million Americans are currently waiting for the IRS to resolve their tax identity theft cases — and the agency is taking roughly 20 months to close them, according to a new report from the federal government's internal tax watchdog.
The findings come from a recent report published by the National Taxpayer Advocate. The report calls the delays "unconscionable" and warns that the backlog is growing, not shrinking — even as the problem of tax-related identity theft worsens nationwide (1).
"For many low- and middle-income taxpayers, waiting nearly two years for a refund is not merely an inconvenience — it can mean falling behind on rent, utilities, transportation costs, and other basic living expenses," National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins wrote in the report (1).
More Info