Are you still wondering where your tax refund is several months after you filed?

You're not alone and people's patience is wearing thin.

The IRS is further behind in processing returns in 2022 than it was this same time last year.

The IRS shut down its offices for several months back in 2020 and ever since has struggled to recover, which means incredible delays in processing tax refunds, especially for people who filed paper returns.

The taxpayer advocate says at the end of May, which is the most recent number available, the IRS had 21.3 million unprocessed returns, including 8.2 million personal returns.

Last year, at the same time, that number was less than 20 million, with just 6 million personal returns.

Before the pandemic, the taxpayer advocate said the IRS typically paid refunds on paper returns in 4 to 6 weeks.

Now, it's generally 6 months or more, so all you can really do is keep waiting.

The IRS director promised to finally crush the pandemic backlog this year, but it hasn't happened so far.

Phone service is also a mess because many of the people who answer the phones are still helping process paper returns.

Watch the video above for the full story.

If you're pregnant in Georgia, you can now list your unborn child as a dependent on tax returns.

On Monday, the Georgia Department of Revenue released new guidance related to its Living Infants and Fairness Equality (LIFE) Act, which prevents doctors from performing abortions beyond six weeks, with some exceptions.

"In light of the June 24, 2022, U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization and the July 20, 2022, 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in Sistersong v. Kemp, the Department will recognize any unborn child with a detectable human heartbeat... as eligible for the Georgia individual income tax dependent exemption," the agency said in a press release.

According to the department, a Georgian taxpayer at least six weeks pregnant on or after July 20 through Dec. 31, 2022 can list the embryo as a dependent on next year's taxes.

Those who claim an exemption will receive $3,000 for "each unborn child," the agency said.

An IRS policy governing the audits of tax returns filed by U.S. presidents is under new scrutiny after a report published by a congressional panel found the agency failed to perform the mandatory inspection of Donald Trump's returns until Congress pressed for information about the process.

The three-point policy states that individual returns for the president and the vice president are subject to mandatory review, “should always be kept in an orange folder,” should be kept from the eyes of IRS employees and “should be locked in a secure drawer or cabinet when the examiner or reviewer is away from the work area.”

The report released Tuesday by the Democratic majority on the House Ways and Means Committee said the process, which dates to 1977, was “dormant, at best” during the early years of the Trump administration. Democrats in Congress are responding by introducing legislation that would codify the IRS policy into law with more stringent requirements.

Tax experts say the failure to launch the audit earlier is emblematic of a larger problem regarding the IRS’ capacity to examine high-income taxpayers’ returns — and a reminder of Trump as a norm-defying president.

John Koskinen, who served as IRS commissioner during both the Obama and Trump administrations, said the policy has been out of the public eye because presidents have traditionally released their tax-return summaries to the public.

“It only became an issue with a president who refused to release his tax returns,” Koskinen said. “If Trump had been releasing his returns, nobody would have raised this issue.”

Trump’s tax returns being handed over to Congress recently is the culmination of a yearslong legal fight between Trump and Democratic lawmakers.

Steve Rosenthal, senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, said the IRS’ failure to audit Trump is a showing that “the mandatory auditing program is broken, we cannot rely on the current system to fairly audit the president, and there’s a general problem of the IRS auditing sophisticated taxpayers.”

Rosenthal added: “This is a much larger problem than Donald Trump — yes, he makes bad things worse, but the situation was bad to begin with.”

A new $80 billion infusion of funds through the so-called Inflation Reduction Act is supposed to remedy the beleaguered agency's low staffing levels, outdated technology and host of other issues. Republicans who are poised to take control of the House in less than two weeks, however, have said they want to cut that funding.

Tuesday's committee report revealed that the IRS only began to audit Trump’s 2016 tax filings on April 3, 2019, more than two years into Trump’s presidency and just months after Democrats took control of the House. That date coincides with Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., the panel chairman, asking the IRS for information related to Trump’s tax returns.

The report's findings prompted lawmakers to recommend a statutory requirement for the mandatory examination of the president's taxes, with “disclosure of certain audit information and related returns in a timely manner.”

Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said he will work to pass the bill through the Senate. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the chamber would “move swiftly” to advance the legislation.

The issue highlights frustration with the so-called tax gap, which is the difference between how much money is owed to the federal government and how much is paid. IRS data released in October projects that for 2017 to 2019, the estimated average gross tax gap will be $540 billion per year.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in August, and has repeated at various speaking engagements, that the new funds allocated by Congress would be used to increase audits on high-wealth individuals, firms and complex pass-throughs.

“This is challenging work that requires a team of sophisticated revenue agents in place to spend thousands of hours poring over complicated returns, and it is also work that has huge revenue potential,” she told former IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig in August.

In an application of the IRS policy on mandatory presidential audits, well-trained agents, forensic experts, tax attorneys and others would be required to oversee a presidential audit as complicated as Trump's, which included hundreds of businesses, properties and complex business interests.

The congressional report highlighted the lack of staffing and availability of experts to examine Trump's taxes. The report states that the IRS believed that accuracy of his filings was ensured because he had legal counsel and an accounting firm representing him.

The question of whether presidential tax documents should be disclosed is another matter of debate among tax experts and advocates.

Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, the top Republican on the Ways and Means Committee, said Congress would be setting a “dangerous new precedent” by releasing the presidential records. Koskinen said that “it's a significant serious precedent for a committee to seek returns and then release them."

“I see two big issues here — what is the IRS going to do to ensure presidents are audited regularly, and what's the rationale for releasing these returns," Koskinen said.

Rosenthal said he thinks presidential returns should be publicly disclosed to ensure proper oversight.

“When this information is made public, the president is going to be more wary about cheating on their taxes and making them public — the results would put both the IRS and president on their best behavior,” he said.

Millions of Americans who qualified for free tax services — but were instead deceived into paying TurboTax for their returns — will soon get settlement checks in the mail.

In a settlement last year, TurboTax's owner Intuit Inc. was ordered to pay $141 million to some 4.4 million people across the country. Those impacted were low-income consumers eligible for free, federally-supported tax services — but paid TurboTax to file their federal returns across the 2016, 2017 and 2018 tax years due to “predatory and deceptive marketing,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said.

All 50 states and the District of Columbia signed the May 2022 settlement, which was led by James.

Consumers eligible for restitution payments do not need to file a claim, the New York Attorney's General Office said Thursday. They will be notified by an email from Rust Consulting, the settlement fund administrator, and receive a check automatically.

Checks will be mailed starting this week, and continue through the month of May. The amount paid to each eligible consumer ranges from $29 to $85 — depending on the number of tax years they qualify for.

“TurboTax’s predatory and deceptive marketing cheated millions of low-income Americans who were trying to fulfill their legal duties to file their taxes,” James said in a Thursday statement. “Today we are righting that wrong and putting money back into the pockets of hardworking taxpayers who should have never paid to file their taxes.”

At the time of the May 2022 settlement, James said her investigation into Intuit was sparked by a 2019 ProPublica report that found the company was using deceptive tactics to steer low-income tax filers away from the free, federal services they qualified for — and toward its own commercial products instead.

Under the terms of last year's settlement, Intuit Inc. agreed to suspend TurboTax’s “free, free, free” ad campaign. According to documents obtained by ProPublica, Intuit executives were aware of the impact of advertising free services that were actually not free for everyone.

“The website lists Free, Free, Free and the customers are assuming their return will be free,” an internal company PowerPoint presentation said, per ProPublica. “Customers are getting upset.”

When contacted by The Associated Press on Friday, Inuit pointed to the company's May 2022 statement following the settlement agreement.

“Intuit is pleased to have reached a resolution with the state attorneys general that will ensure the company can return our focus to providing vital services to American taxpayers today and in the future,” Kerry McLean, Intuit’s executive vice president and general counsel, said at the time.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — If you haven’t already, it’s time to start preparing to file your taxes.

This year, millions of low-income families are eligible for a one-time tax break that could save them big bucks.

The Federal Earned Income Tax Credit, which is aimed at people in the lowest-paid jobs, is being tripled for a group of workers who typically don't benefit much from it: childless adults.

For the tax year that just ended, low-income workers without kids can receive a credit worth up to $1,500 — nearly triple what the credit was worth in 2020, thanks to the American Rescue Plan.

The plan allows anyone 19 and older, who's not a full-time student and has earnings, to claim the expanded credit.

18-year-olds who are without a home or who have been in foster care are also eligible.

Previously, only workers ages 25 to 64 could claim it.

Taxpayers without children who earned up to $21,430 from a job, gigs or self-employment can claim the credit when they file their tax returns this season.

In most years, workers earning more than about $16,000 are ineligible for the EITC.

Taxpayers can also choose to use income from 2019 to qualify for the credit — useful for those who lost their jobs in 2020.

Policy experts estimate that between 17 and 20 million workers will benefit from the expanded credit.

This story was first reported by Aaron Cantrell at WTVF in Nashville, Tenn.

Tax season kicks off Monday, but the pandemic continues to impact filing.

The big takeaway this year is to not rush. Accountants suggest taking a second look to make sure all documents are in order, particularly those regarding COVID-19 relief payments.

“Typically, you’d want to wait until the early part of February unless you are 100% sure you have these items when you file,” said CPA Joshua Jenson, founder of Jenson and Companies in Oklahoma City.

Jenson said the best way to avoid delays is to wait until you receive two letters from the IRS: documents for the third stimulus payment and the child tax credits.

“On your 2021 tax return, if you didn’t get the full amount, this is where you get the rest of those dollars that are due to you,” he said.

Experts also advise taxpayers to take advantage of a new deductible this season.

“The new big deduction in 2021 that’s very exciting is that you can deduct up to $600 in charitable contributions directly on form 1040 even if you do not itemize your deductions,” he said. “Do not miss that. It’s right there on Form 1040.”

Jenson said that while the pandemic may have caused some returns to be delayed last year, he doesn’t expect things to be the same this year.

“The IRS has done a phenomenal job, as well as the Oklahoma Tax Commission, at where it’s possible, having their agents either work remotely or in a safeguard situation that allows returns to continue to be processed,” he said.

Another thing to keep in mind before filing is that employers had until Jan. 21 to send W-2s.

Many U.S. tax filers get refunds when they file their federal income taxes. But this year, thanks to several temporarily expanded tax breaks, you could get back more — or in some cases, less — than you might expect.

This is particularly the case if you were eligible to receive any of the tax relief measures included in the American Rescue Plan, which was signed into law last March.

In many instances, the tax breaks will also benefit low-income earners who ordinarily do not have to file a return.

Here are several key breaks you should keep in mind as you gather documents to prepare your 1040.

1. More generous child and dependent care tax credit

If you were working or going to school and paying for the care of a child under 13 or another family member who is not mentally or physically able to care for themselves, you likely will benefit from the temporary increases made to the child and dependent care credit.

"This is a biggie. It was significantly expanded," said Kathy Pickering, Chief Tax Officer, The Tax Institute at H&R Block.

The credit is based on your income and calculated as a percentage of the qualifying expenses you incurred — which this year is 50%, up from 35% in the years prior, although that percentage is reduced for those making more than $125,000.

Qualifying expenses are minus any employer-provided dependent care benefits (e.g., money you put into a tax-advantaged flexible spending account).

All in, the credit this year could reduce your tax bill — or increase your refund — by up to $4,000 for one dependent or $8,000 for two or more. Prior to 2021, the credit would only have done so by $1,050 or $2,100, respectively.

2. A temporary expansion of the child tax credit

The maximum value of the child tax credit is temporarily $3,000 per child ages 6 through 17 and $3,600 per child ages 5 and under.

Unlike in prior years, the credit is fully refundable for 2021, meaning you can get the maximum amount of the credit even if it exceeds your federal income tax liability for the year.

Except for the wealthiest households, "anyone with children ages 17 and below is likely eligible to claim the child tax credit," Pickering said.

And for the first time, the IRS made advanced monthly payments on that credit, from July through December. So you may already have received about half of your credit and can claim the other half on your return. To help with that calculation, the IRS will send you a letter (Letter 6419) detailing the amount you've already received, which you should use to reconcile how much more you are due. The amount may be different than you expect.

Here's why: The advanced payments were calculated based on your 2020 or 2019 income and family situation. But the final calculation will be based on your 2021 information, which may change how much you're eligible for.

For instance, if you had another child in 2021 you may be entitled to more than your advanced payments reflect.

Or you may have gotten paid too much if, for example, you're divorced and changed which parent could claim a child on their tax return. The same might be true if you made more money in 2021 or one of your children turned 18. Whether you have to "repay" the excess you got — which most likely means you just claim less of a credit for the first half of last year — depends on your income.

Those making less than $40,000 ($60,000 if married) get full repayment protection. But if you're making more than $80,000 (or $120,000 if married) you may have to repay. (Here is the IRS's FAQ on the issue.)

3. Claim a recovery rebate credit

Since the pandemic began, the IRS has sent out three rounds of Economic Impact Payments to eligible Americans, the last of which went out in 2021.

If you got that third payment, the IRS will send you a letter (Letter 6475) detailing how much you were paid. You should report that information on your return.

But if you didn't get the third payment — or perhaps now qualify for more than you were paid because your income or family situation changed — you should review whether to claim the refundable recovery rebate credit.

"Individuals who didn't qualify for a third Economic Impact Payment or got less than the full amount, may be eligible to claim the 2021 recovery rebate credit based on their 2021 tax year information," the IRS noted.

If you got a stimulus payment but your 2021 income would have disqualified you, there's good news. "You do not need to repay the third stimulus payment — which was based on your 2019 or 2020 income — if your 2021 income would have disqualified you from all or part of the payment," said Mark Luscombe, principal analyst at Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting.

4. Expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit

For 2021 only, low- and moderate-income wage earners who do not have qualifying children may be eligible for a larger Earned Income Tax Credit than before.

The American Rescue Plan nearly tripled the maximum credit available to $1,502.

To qualify, your earned income for 2021 must be below $21,430 ($27,380 if married filing jointly). And on a permanent basis for all EITC recipients, the amount of investment income you may have on top of your wages and still claim the credit increased to $10,000.

The credit is also available for the first time to childless workers as young as 19 and workers 65 and older.

For people who do have qualifying children, if they earn $57,414 or less, they may qualify for the EITC. And depending how many kids they have, they could get a maximum credit of $6,728.

5. Special charitable tax deduction

Normally, only tax filers who itemize deductions can deduct their charitable contributions. But the IRS once again is allowing those who take the standard deduction — which is the majority of tax filers — to deduct up to $300 in cash to qualifying charities. And this year, married couples filing jointly may deduct up to $600.

IRS says tax brackets will be higher in 2022 due to surging inflation

Updated: 11:10 PM EST Nov 13, 2021

The IRS announced this week that 2022's income tax brackets will be higher."They moved it by 6.2%," Joe Bert, a Central Florida certified financial planner, said.Bert noted that 6.2% is a significant jump."Generally, the tax bracket adjustments are only one maybe 2% per year," Bert said.The reason behind the larger adjustment is the recent spike in inflation, he said."With the increase we've had in inflation, Social Security's adjusted and the tax brackets adjusted. There's supposed to be an index for inflation and that's what happened,” Bert said.Bert said it could save some money in 2023."If your income hasn't changed much, you're probably going to pay a little less in taxes,” Bert said.The IRS is also increasing the standard deduction. It will increase to $25,900 for married couples filing together, $12,950 for single taxpayers and $19,400 for heads of household.The changes will apply to 2022 tax returns which are not filed until 2023.

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