National

Macro

Axios Macro

Unprocessed returns by tax filing year

Data: National Taxpayer Advocate; Chart: Axios Visuals

The IRS wrapped filing season with more than quadruple the amount of unprocessed returns than the last pre-pandemic tax season.

The big picture: These returns — which include paper filings, ones that have been amended or set aside for additional review — need human touch to be processed, per a new report from an independent office within the IRS.

The backlog means these taxpayers "will not receive timely refunds."

Only 3 of every 100 callers on its most frequently dialed customer help line reached a representative — "historically poor service."

Unprocessed tax returns swell

Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

The IRS wrapped filing season with more than quadruple the amount of unprocessed returns than the last pre-pandemic tax season.The big picture: These returns — which include paper filings, ones that have been amended or set aside for additional review — need human touch to be processed, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="per a new report" data-vars-click-url="https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/reports/2022-objectives-report-to-congress/full-report/" data-vars-content-id="aba22d01-2951-4412-8684-06a1aed4b94f" data-vars-headline="Unprocessed tax returns swell" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/reports/2022-objectives-report-to-congress/full-report/" target="_blank">per a new report</a> from an independent office within the IRS.

After a record economic expansion, the coronavirus pandemic sent the U.S. economy into a recession as unemployment soared to staggering heights. The country now faces urgent questions about how much stimulus is needed for reeling consumers and businesses, and what a recovery might look like.

Unprocessed tax returns swell

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