Every tax season, millions of refunds are issued automatically. At the same time, billions of dollars in attempted fraud are stopped before the money ever leaves the Treasury. Standing between legitimate taxpayers and large-scale refund…
Most taxpayers assume that once a return passes electronic filing checks, it moves straight toward refund approval. In reality, many returns are quietly diverted into a lesser-known IRS department designed to resolve problems computers cannot…
When your tax refund suddenly slows down or your WMR status stops updating, most people think a real person decided something was suspicious. In reality, the IRS uses automated scoring systems that rank every tax…
How “Data Anomaly Detection” Is Causing Refund Delays for Honest Filers Many taxpayers are shocked to discover their return — even one that is perfectly legitimate and accurately reported — is being delayed by new…
The Key Differences Between a Standard IRS Income Review and a Serious Identity Theft Investigation Nothing disrupts refund season faster than receiving an IRS letter. But not all IRS correspondence signals the same level of…
Avoid These Common Errors to Prevent Delays and Keep Your Refund on Track Every tax season, millions of refunds are delayed—not because of audits, identity theft, or complicated income issues, but because of simple filing…
The IRS sends millions of notices and letters each year to taxpayers for a variety of reasons. But before these notices are mailed, there’s a complex behind-the-scenes process that ensures every notice is accurate, relevant,…
When you see the message that the IRS is reviewing your tax return, it can cause anxiety and confusion. But what does this review actually mean? Understanding the IRS tax return review process can help…
Seeing the “Action Required – We received your tax return and are reviewing it” message on Where’s My Refund? can feel alarming. The wording sounds serious — but in most cases, this status means the…
I thought it would be a good idea to discuss an issue that affects many taxpayer returns, namely the IRS processes for identifying and stopping refund fraud. Attempted refund fraud has become a significant problem…
The IRS established the Taxpayer Protection Program (TPP) to proactively identify and prevent the processing of identity theft tax returns and assist taxpayers whose identities are used to file such returns. However, as part of…
Integrity & Verification Operation (IVO) department provides leadership and direction to employees responsible for fraud detection and prevention, revenue protection, and account correction. Integrity and Verification Operation (IVO) is the department designated to screen individual…
Systemic verification is one element of the IRS’s Return Review Program (RRP), its primary system to detect fraud and noncompliance. The Return Review Program is a platform that runs individual tax returns through a set…
The IRS’s Failure to Establish Goals to Reduce High False Positive Rates for Its Fraud Detection Programs Increases Taxpayer Burden and Compromises Taxpayer Rights Over the past decade, the IRS has been significantly impacted by…
A system the IRS uses to identify potentially fraudulent electronically filed tax returns. It enhances the IRS’s capabilities to detect, resolve, and prevent criminal and civil noncompliance and reduces issuance of fraudulent tax refunds. The…
Filing taxes can be stressful and when the IRS opts to take a closer look at your return, that can only increase your anxiety level. Getting your return flagged for review doesn’t mean you’ll be…