# IRS and a Lost Tax Return?



## Buzzcut (Sep 14, 2016)

My daughter, a US citizen who lives outside the USA, has to mail in a paper tax return every year because the IRS won't accept electronic filing for her given her status. She uses 'married filing separately' since her husband is an NRA. 

She mailed things exactly three months ago, in mid-March, but has yet to receive her 2020 refund. The IRS online "Where's My Refund" system still shows no information whatsoever about her 2020 tax return. Granted, things are probably slower than usual this year due to COVID, but at what point should she consider the return lost in the mail and file another return for 2020?


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## 255 (Sep 8, 2018)

Buzzcut -- To my knowledge, the IRS is still trying to clear the backlog of 2019 returns. It took them nine months to issue my refund for 2019! I would give them at least another six months. Even then, I wouldn't send in a duplicate return without consulting the IRS. Cheers, 255


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## Moulard (Feb 3, 2017)

When they announced the extension of the domestic filing deadline this year was because the IRS (at that point) had a backlog of 7 million paper filed tax returns.

I seem to recall a press release stating that they had now mostly cleared the 2019 backlog, but of course that means there is now a 2020 backlog.

Even setting aside the issue of slower than normal international postage, As 255 I would probably suggest 6 months as a "check again" time.


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## Buzzcut (Sep 14, 2016)

OK. We'll give until the end of the year.
Thank you both.


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