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How the IRS Is Forcing E-File for Large Refunds (Automated Review of Paper Returns)

Why Big Refunds Filed by Paper Are Being Delayed and Manually Reviewed

For years, taxpayers could choose to file either through e-file or by mailing in a paper return. But today, the IRS is increasingly incentivizing one method: electronic filing. And nowhere is this more obvious than in how the IRS handles large refund claims submitted on paper.

If you file a paper return with a significant refund amount—$15,000 or more—it is almost guaranteed to undergo a far deeper review than an e-filed return, slowing the process by weeks or even months. This is not a coincidence. It is policy.

Here’s what’s happening—and why the IRS is pushing you toward e-file whether you realize it or not.

The Paper Return Problem: IRS Manual Processing

Paper returns must go through:

  • Physical receipt
  • Optical scanning
  • Data keying by human staff
  • Quality review
  • Routing to tax examiners if flagged

This takes time and manpower, both of which the IRS aims to reduce.

Large refund paper filings are specifically routed through additional layers of review because:

  • Paper filings have historically higher error rates
  • Paper filings are more susceptible to fraud
  • Paper filings are easier for criminals to forge
  • Paper filings lack the encrypted identity validation of e-file

The IRS sees large-paper-return refunds as a risk category.

How the Automated Screening Works

When a paper return claims a large refund amount, artificial intelligence and historical pattern-matching are applied, resulting in:

  • Extended processing hold
  • Comparison with prior-year data
  • Withholding validation
  • W-2 and 1099 cross-matching
  • Duplicate or identity fraud screening
  • Possible TC 570 or TC 810 holds

Your paper return essentially enters a high-security checkpoint.

Paper + Big Refund = Manual Review by Default

For paper returns claiming large refunds:

  • Expect delays of 8–16 weeks
  • Transcript movement will be slow
  • Direct deposit timing cannot be projected
  • The IRS may request additional documents
  • Refund may be frozen pending verification

Several taxpayers report never seeing TC 846 until months after TC 150 posts.

The IRS Strategy: Make Paper Filing Painful

Though the IRS doesn’t announce this publicly, the consequences are clear:

  • Paper refunds move at the speed of bureaucracy
  • E-filed refunds move at the speed of automation

By slowing paper returns—especially ones involving big-dollar refunds—the IRS discourages mailing returns altogether.

This is part of a broader trend in IRS modernization:

  • Encourage electronic identity matching
  • Minimize fraud
  • Reduce staff workload
  • Eliminate manual keystroke entry
  • Lower processing costs

The tax system is slowly—but unmistakably—becoming e-file mandatory by consequence.

Who Gets Hit the Hardest

Paper filers in the following groups are most impacted:

  • Large refund claims
  • First-time filers
  • Self-employed taxpayers
  • Earned Income Tax Credit claimants
  • Refundable credit claimants
  • Those with amended returns
  • Returns with heavy withholding or credit changes

In many cases, these returns are flagged for manual verification—even if everything is legitimately filed.

How To Avoid the Paper Filing Delay

Simple rule:

If you want your refund fast, e-file your return.

Additionally:

  • Ensure all employer forms match
  • Avoid rounding errors or estimates
  • Confirm your identity through IRS Online Services
  • Use direct deposit to one account
  • Avoid requesting multiple deposit destinations

E-filed returns go through automated accuracy and fraud filters—and then move straight to processing.

What Happens If You Already Filed by Paper?

Realistic expectations:

  • Your return may not even enter processing for 4–6 weeks
  • A TC 150 posting may be delayed
  • Refund timing may stretch beyond 2 months
  • You may see little transcript activity

If the IRS needs further review, you may receive:

  • CP05 income verification notice
  • 4464C audit indicator
  • 2645C identity review notice
  • 5071C identity verification request

These notices are increasingly common for large paper-filed refunds.

Filing a paper return doesn’t make your refund unsafe—but it absolutely makes it slower.

Today’s IRS refund pipeline is:

  • Optimized for electronic returns
  • Slowed for large paper refunds
  • Enhanced to detect high-risk filings
  • Gradually shifting taxpayers away from physical documentation

If your refund is important—and if you expect a large refund—e-file is no longer just recommended. It is necessary.

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