Stevens Urges IRS to Clarify Return Processing Status

Stevens Calls For Greater Transparency for Federal Tax Refunds and Unissued Economic Impact Payments

August 14, 2020

WASHINGTON — This week, Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11) demanded answers from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) after hearing from constituents facing difficulties receiving their 2019 tax refunds as well as unissued Economic Impact Payments.

Authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), Economic Impact Payments were designed to provide much-needed financial relief to low and middle-income families as millions of Americans lost their jobs and livelihoods during the COVID-19 pandemic. While millions of Americans have received their Economic Impact Payment, many eligible taxpayers in Michigan's 11th District have not yet received the financial relief they expected during a period of great uncertainty. The IRS has not provided these taxpayers with adequate information about the status of their Economic Impact Payment, and inquiries on their behalf from Congresswoman Stevens' office have not received acceptable responses.

“While I recognize the unique challenges faced by the IRS given the impact of COVID-19, particularly as you balance the safety needs of your workforce, taxpayers are often left in the dark on processing times as well as which IRS processing centers are currently open,” Congresswoman Stevens wrote in a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. “I urge the IRS to provide greater transparency on individual processing centers, relating to operational status and its respective backlog. I request that you provide my office with a deeper insight on how the remaining EIP payments will be issued and prioritized, as well as the numbers of EIPs issued and those that remain to be issued. Finally, I ask that the Treasury increases its collaboration with congressional offices to make the congressional mailbox more responsive to individual payments which have yet to be received.”

The full text of the letter can be found attached or below.

“Dear Secretary Mnuchin:

“I am writing to share the concerns of my constituents regarding the lack of transparency related to the operational status of the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) processing centers along with the issuance of Economic Impact Payments (EIPs).

“While I recognize the unique challenges faced by the IRS given the impact of COVID-19, particularly as you balance the safety needs of your workforce, taxpayers are often left in the dark on processing times as well as which IRS processing centers are currently open. The IRS website specifically instructs taxpayers who have filed a paper return to not call, without providing any additional insight. As my staff continues to work with taxpayers to obtain needed clarity on their federal returns, they are repeatedly told by agency liaisons that they are unaware of whether or not a particular processing center has its employees working. This is not an acceptable response for our taxpayers.

“My constituents also continue to call my office regarding the status of their EIPs. While I appreciate the IRS' creation of a congressional mailbox to as well as a public line to answer stimulus payment questions, these additions have not gone far enough and have not been without their setbacks.

“While the EIP congressional portal was announced on May 18, 2020, to address individual constituent inquiries, it was not relayed until July 8, 2020, that the portal could not provide any information regarding unissued payments, including scheduled payment dates. The “Get My Payment” online portal continues to provide inadequate information, particularly in this time of great financial uncertainty for many. While I acknowledge the difficulties stemming from limited resources, we are months into the implementation of this program.

“I urge the IRS to provide greater transparency on individual processing centers, relating to operational status and its respective backlog. I request that you provide my office with a deeper insight on how the remaining EIP payments will be issued and prioritized, as well as the numbers of EIPs issued and those that remain to be issued. Finally, I ask that the Treasury increases its collaboration with congressional offices to make the congressional mailbox more responsive to individual payments which have yet to be received. Thank you for your attention to this matter.”