IRS Gives Break to Taxpayers Whose Checks Caught in Backlog of Unopened Mail

As IRS offices were closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, a backlog of millions of unopened mail pieces collected in trailers set up outside IRS facilities. As IRS employees have begun returning to work, they have started sorting and processing the mail. However, this has not stopped more correspondences from coming in every day. Amid complaints that the IRS has begun sending balance due notices to some taxpayers, even though they had already mailed in their payments with their tax filings, the IRS has updated their information regarding pending check payments and notices.If a taxpayer mailed a check it may still be unopened due to the backlog of mail. As a result, any payment will be posted as the date the IRS received it rather than the date the agency processed them. To avoid penalties and interest, the IRS advises payers should not cancel their checks and ensure funds continue to be available so that they may process them.Additionally, to provide fair and equitable treatment, the IRS is providing relief from bad check penalties for dishonored checks the agency received between March 1 and July 15 due to delays in processing. Interest and penalties may still apply.If you have received a notice regarding your 2019 tax return, feel free to contact us--we would be happy to assist you with your next step.Source: IRS offers reprieve for taxpayer checks caught in backlog of unopened mail