Menu
Tax Notes logo
HOMETax Notes ResearchFederalLegislative Documentscongressional tax correspondence

House GOP Taxwriters Question IRS on Return Processing Backlog

FEB. 17, 2021

House GOP Taxwriters Question IRS on Return Processing Backlog

DATED FEB. 17, 2021
DOCUMENT ATTRIBUTES
  • Authors
    Kelly, Rep. Mike
    Walorski, Jackie
    Wenstrup, Rep. Brad R.
    Smucker, Rep. Lloyd
    Ferguson, Rep. A. Drew, IV
  • Institutional Authors
    U.S. House of Representatives
    U.S. House Ways and Means Committee
    U.S. House Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee
  • Subject Area/Tax Topics
  • Jurisdictions
  • Tax Analysts Document Number
    2021-6567
  • Tax Analysts Electronic Citation
    2021 TNTF 33-27

February 17, 2021

The Honorable Charles P. Rettig
Commissioner
Internal Revenue Service
1111 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20224

Dear Commissioner Rettig:

We write to express concern about the ongoing backlog of unprocessed 2019 tax returns. Based on the latest numbers we have received, over 11 million individual and business returns remain unprocessed, even as the new tax filing season has already begun. We have heard from many constituents who filed their taxes last spring but are still awaiting refunds.

We certainly understand that the IRS currently has a number of important responsibilities — from processing the latest round of Economic Impact Payments to the recent Biden Administration Executive Order, to implementing other COVID-related legislative provisions — all while working to run a successful 2021 tax filing season. That said, we have the following questions:

1. Does the agency have a plan for addressing this unprecedented backlog of unprocessed tax returns while still fulfilling its other obligations, such as processing new returns for the current filing season? If yes, please provide us with a copy of the plan.

2. What should taxpayers do who timely filed their 2019 returns, but have still not yet received their refunds? And how is the agency going to communicate that to taxpayers?

3. What will the agency do to make sure that individual taxpayers do not suffer adverse consequences related to their 2020 returns due to delays in processing their 2019 returns?

We ask you to provide answers to these questions as soon as possible. Our constituents have waited many months for tax refunds and need resolution as quickly as possible.

Mike Kelly
Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Oversight
Committee on Ways and Means

Jackie Walorski
Subcommittee on Oversight

Brad Wenstrup
Subcommittee on Oversight

Lloyd Smucker
Subcommittee on Oversight

Drew Ferguson
Subcommittee on Oversight

DOCUMENT ATTRIBUTES
  • Authors
    Kelly, Rep. Mike
    Walorski, Jackie
    Wenstrup, Rep. Brad R.
    Smucker, Rep. Lloyd
    Ferguson, Rep. A. Drew, IV
  • Institutional Authors
    U.S. House of Representatives
    U.S. House Ways and Means Committee
    U.S. House Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee
  • Subject Area/Tax Topics
  • Jurisdictions
  • Tax Analysts Document Number
    2021-6567
  • Tax Analysts Electronic Citation
    2021 TNTF 33-27
Copy RID