Umm, well, I never expect to receive all of my forms before late Jaanuary/early February.

Financial institutions do have that long to send out the information.

So why is this such a problem? When working for a large corporation I never had my W-2 before February 1st at the very earliest.

yep! Heard it on the news a few weeks ago.!

I suppose that's not so unusual if Congress did not pass these laws until the very end of the year or even after the first of the year. Government passes laws with no regard for how the workers are gong to enact something. They pass a law and it takes time to impliment.

Maybe that is why some of the people who have already received their refunds that have been automatically deposited to their checking accounts, now have had those refunds taken back out of the accounts per news on the internet. The IRS claims they don't know why.

This is a copy and paste from the TaxAct website.
We'll know in a few days if we get it. (direct deposit)

Transmitted & Accepted (by 11:00 am) between...
.....................................Direct Deposit Sent
..........................................................Paper Check Mailed
Jan 14 and Jan 20, 2011 Jan 28, 2011 Feb 4, 2011
Jan 20 and Jan 27, 2011 Feb 4, 2011 Feb 11, 2011
Jan 27 and Feb 3, 2011 Feb 11, 2011 Feb 18, 2011
Feb 3 and Feb 10, 2011 Feb 18, 2011 Feb 25, 2011
Feb 10 and Feb 17, 2011 Feb 25, 2011 Mar 4, 2011
Feb 17 and Feb 24, 2011 Mar 4, 2011 Mar 11, 2011
Feb 24 and Mar 3, 2011 Mar 11, 2011 Mar 18, 2011
Mar 3 and Mar 10, 2011 Mar 18, 2011 Mar 25, 2011
Mar 10 and Mar 17, 2011 Mar 25, 2011 Apr 1, 2011
Mar 17 and Mar 24, 2011 Apr 1, 2011 Apr 8, 2011
Mar 24 and Mar 31, 2011 Apr 8, 2011 Apr 15, 2011
Mar 31 and Apr 7, 2011 Apr 15, 2011 Apr 22, 2011
Apr 7 and Apr 14, 2011 Apr 22, 2011 Apr 29, 2011
Apr 14 and Apr 21, 2011 Apr 29, 2011 May 6, 2011
Apr 21 and Apr 28, 2011 May 6, 2011 May 13, 2011
Apr 28 and May 5, 2011 May 13, 2011 May 20, 2011
May 5 and May 12, 2011 May 20, 2011 May 27, 2011
May 12 and May 19, 2011 May 27, 2011 June 3, 2011
May 19 and May 26, 2011 Jun 3, 2011 Jun 10, 2011
May 26 and Jun 2, 2011 Jun 10, 2011 Jun 17, 2011
Jun 2 and Jun 9, 2011 Jun 17, 2011 Jun 24, 2011
Jun 9 and Jun 16, 2011 Jun 24, 2011 Jul 1, 2011
Jun 16 and Jun 23, 2011 Jul 1, 2011 Jul 8, 2011
Jun 23 and Jun 30, 2011 Jul 8, 2011 Jul 15, 2011
Jun 30 and Jul 7, 2011 Jul 15, 2011 Jul 22, 2011
Jul 7 and Jul 14, 2011 Jul 22, 2011 Jul 29, 2011
Jul 14 and Jul 21, 2011 Jul 29, 2011 Aug 5, 2011
Jul 21 and Jul 28, 2011 Aug 5, 2011 Aug 12, 2011
Jul 28 and Aug 4, 2011 Aug 12, 2011 Aug 19, 2011
Aug 4 and Aug 11, 2011 Aug 19, 2011 Aug 26, 2011
Aug 11 and Aug 18, 2011 Aug 26, 2011 Sep 2, 2011
Aug 18 and Aug 25, 2011 Sep 2, 2011 Sep 9, 2011
Aug 25 and Sep 1, 2011 Sep 9, 2011 Sep 16, 2011
Sep 1 and Sep 8, 2011 Sep 16, 2011 Sep 23, 2011
Sep 8 and Sep 15, 2011 Sep 23, 2011 Sep 30, 2011
Sep 15 and Sep 22, 2011 Sep 30, 2011 Oct 7, 2011
Sep 22 and Sep 29, 2011 Oct 7, 2011 Oct 14, 2011
Sep 29 and Oct 6, 2011 Oct 14, 2011 Oct 21, 2011
Oct 6 and Oct 13, 2011 Oct 21, 2011 Oct 28, 2011
Oct 13 and Oct 20, 2011 Oct 28, 2011

Ok, I just saw this on the news.
Some Georgia state refunds have been reversed.
The problem is with the state refunds, not the federal returns.

Pooh Bear

Here is a link that might be useful: Georgia Yanks Tax Refunds Out of Accounts

Yeah right.

Color me jaded, but I do not believe this to be the legitimate and honest reason for this significant delay of taxpayer money.

Our government is bankrupt, with $99 trillion in unfunded liabilities and $14 trillion in cold, hard debt.

As goes California, so goes the country.

We're in trouble deep. The tax refunds are the least of it.

Rose

My employer has until Jan 31 to issue W-2's. All I am saying was that I was rather surprized that MY money wasn't available to be refunded.
I wasn't really expecting much of a refund, being that I raised my fed. and state exemptions so that less taxes were taken out of my check weekly. I was worried I would have to pay in, so I went ahead and filed to see where I stand. I had all my bank info, property taxes, and W-2's and misc. But I am getting a nice return and now it is held up. Are they going to have the same patience for people that owe in?
Scissors is correct. That's exactly what they told me. They can't submit my forms until Feb 14, and I won't get my refund until Feb 25.

It finally is working on my time frame! Go running to the post office on my anniversary.....April 14! Unless we file for an extension like we did last year! LOL!

Hmmmm, the beloved tax dept needs extra time to start processing returns and issuing refunds? I think, for every day they delay accepting returns, they should give us an extra day to file them. So, for example, if you can't file till Feb 15 (approx 45 days from Jan 1) , then give us to June 1 (an extra 45 days after April 15) to send in our returns. Makes sense to me! By the way, I live in New York, where, just a few years ago, I had to wait till July to get my state refund money!!

If you are late paying your taxes, you have to pay interest. If the government is late paying refunds, it should pay you interest.

And the interest fees paid by the government should be paid by the 536 idiots in D.C. who caused the problem. Maybe if they knew there were consequences for their actions/inactions, they would be more conscientious.

According to my bank, my IRS refund was deposited Jan 25.
It just showed up in my account when I checked online.

Pooh Bear

Yes, when I went to file my Federal return it said that returns that itemize deductions won't be started until Feb. 14th. Figures, on a year when we're hanging on by the skin of our teeth for our refund. Ah well.

Several years ago a local Christian-based social service agency that helps the needy sent some people to be trained in preparing income tax returns for low income people at no charge, which is common in Canada ...

... and they had NO TAKERS, they reported to me.

When I asked the reason, they said that the low income folks took their returns to H & R Block, to get the instant refunds, as they accepted returns early ... was it beginning in Jan?

But even if they filed electronically with the volunteer-based system, they couldn't do it till about mid-Feb., I think it was, and had to wait a few days, maybe a week, for the refund.

And they needed theirs right away ... so accepted the fee from the commercial preparer.

Dang!

ole joyful