MILWAUKEE — Due to COVID-19, the April 15 federal tax filing deadline was pushed back to July 15. Because so many have taken a financial hit during the pandemic, tax preparer, Tasha Edwards says some of her clients are dreading the tax deadline, even more, this year.
"Especially those that owe. They tend to get very afraid of the IRS at this time," said Edwards, owner of Tasha's Tax Service.
If you already filed a paper return and still haven't received your refund, remember, the IRS is working through a backlog of mail that piled up when it closed offices at the start of COVID-19.
On the IRS website, the government agency admits to delays in processing paper tax returns, saying the reason is "limited staffing."
"My greatest delays have been with individuals who have had IRS correspondence letters such as maybe they had to do an identity verification," Edwards explained.
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To speed up the process of receiving your refund, the IRS is encouraging taxpayers to use "electronic options" to file your taxes and to use direct deposit.
"After all, people need their money. Especially right now, they need their money more than anything right now," she continued.
If you do owe money, and you can't afford your total payment, visit IRS.gov to set up an online payment plan.
The deadline to request an extension with the IRS is also July 15. But, that's not an extension to pay. You can expect to owe interest and penalties on any unpaid taxes.