ATLANTA — The Internal Revenue Service is facing another challenging year with a backlog of returns the agency is still processing from 2021, but there are are things you can do to help avoid a refund delay this year.
According to the IRS, 77% of individual taxpayers get refunds. Tens of millions experienced delays in the processing of returns that translated into refund delays.
The fastest way to get your refund is to file your taxes electronically and use direct deposit.
Lance Palmer with University of Georgia's College of Family and Consumer Sciences says be careful -- there are issues within your return that can lead to a delay.
Although stimulus checks and advances on the Child Tax Credit aren’t taxable, you still need to report whatever amount you received last year. Palmer says entering the wrong amount can cause more work.
“Then the IRS has to recalculate that amount and adjust their refund and then send it back to me,” Palmer said. “That’s going to take time.”
During the pandemic you may have taken on a temporary job like driving for Uber or DoorDash. Anything you earned working freelance gigs that exceeds $600 needs to go on a 1099 form.
“The IRS has a copy of that 1099 and they're matching it up with what's on that tax return based on social security numbers,” Palmer said. “If there's a mismatch, then that slows the process down.”
If you worked several jobs in 2021, he said to wait to get the proper documentation from all of them before filing a return.