Internal Revenue Service Updates

Click the links below for the latest updates and resources from the FICPA, AICPA and IRS.

FICPA News

AICPA Resources

From the IRS

Special Filing Season Alerts

April 29 - 2022 filing season update

The IRS continues to process tax returns and deliver refunds a rapid pace for the current filing season. As of the week ending April 22, the IRS has issued more than 88 million refunds worth over $267 billion. The average refund is $3,012.

April 4 - Temporary update to U.S. residency certification application process

The IRS is temporarily changing its procedures for Form 8802, application for U.S. residency certification, for a two-year period. More information can be found at Temporary change in policy with respect to applications for U.S. residency certifications for a two-year period.

April 1 - 2022 filing season update

The IRS continues to process tax returns and deliver refunds at a rapid pace for the current filing season.  As of the week ending March 25, the IRS has issued almost 58 million refunds worth nearly $189 billion. The average refund is $3,263.

March 25 - 2022 filing season update

The IRS is processing tax returns and delivering refunds. As of the week ending March 18, the IRS has issued more than 52 million refunds worth more than $171 billion. The average refund is $3,305.

March 22 - Electronically filed return rejected for a missing Form 8962

Tax year 2021 electronically filed tax returns will be rejected if the taxpayer is required to reconcile advance payments of the premium tax credit on Form 8962, Premium Tax Credit, but does not attach the form to the tax return. See How to correct an electronically filed return rejected for a missing Form 8962 for more information.

March 18 - 2022 filing season update

The IRS is processing tax returns and delivering refunds. As of the ending March 11, the IRS has issued more than 45 million refunds worth almost $152 billion. The average refund is $3,352.

March 15 - IRS alert for some farming and fishing businesses

The IRS is aware of a third-party software issue affecting qualifying farmers and fishermen attempting to electronically file Forms 7203. Due to these challenges, the Treasury Department and the IRS  issued Notice 2022-33 PDF, providing penalty relief for qualifying farmers and fishermen filing Forms 7203 if they electronically file their 2021 tax return and pay in full any tax due by April 18, 2022, or by April 19, 2022, for those qualifying farmers and fishermen who live in Maine or Massachusetts. Farmers and fishermen who filed their returns by the March 1 deadline are unaffected by this, as explained in this news release.

March 10 - IRS unveils voice and chat bots

The IRS unveils voice and chat bots to assist taxpayers with simple collection questions and tasks, providing faster service and cutting wait time. The IRS has deployed voice and chat bots in English and Spanish for phone lines that assist taxpayers with tax payments issues or understanding an IRS notice they may have received. The bots are now available and can help taxpayers with: How to make One-Time Payments; Answers to Frequently Asked Questions; and Collection Notice Clarification. Bots that can handle more complex chores are coming later this year. Learn more by consulting the news release.

February 16 - IRS provides details on relief for Schedule K-2 and K-3 reporting

 The IRS issued a news release and new frequently asked questions (FAQs) providing both general information and more details on the certain domestic partnerships and S corporations who qualify for the exception to 2021 reporting.

February 15 - Coming relief from certain Schedule K-2 and K-3 reporting

 The IRS intends to provide certain additional transition relief for this year from the Schedule K-2 and K-3 reporting for certain domestic partnerships and S corporations with no foreign activities, foreign partners or shareholders, and without knowledge of partner or shareholder need for information on items of international relevance. For 2021, these qualifying domestic partnerships and S corporations will not have to file the new schedules. We are taking this step in response to feedback we received from the tax community and our stakeholders. The IRS will provide full details of this relief soon.

February 14 - IRS suspends more than a dozen automated notices, including collection issues

As part of ongoing efforts to provide additional help for people during this period, the IRS has suspended automated collection notices normally issued when a taxpayer owes additional tax or has no record of filing a tax return. Note that many other IRS notices are statutorily required to be issued within a certain timeframe to be legally valid. The IRS encourages those who have a filing requirement and have yet to file a prior year tax return or to pay any tax due to promptly do so as interest and penalties will continue to accrue. Visit IRS.gov for payment options. For more information on suspended notices, see IR-2022-31, IRS continues work to help taxpayers; suspends mailing of additional letters.

News Releases

April 2022

March 2022

February 2022

January 2022

General Information for the 2022 Tax Season

April 18 tax deadline: The filing deadline is April 18 for most taxpayers. There are currently no plans to extend the filing deadline. For those who need more time to file, an automatic six-month extension of time to file is available for anyone by filing Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. The Around the Nation section on IRS.gov provides information about recent tax relief including postponing certain tax-filing and tax-payment deadlines for taxpayers who reside or have a business in the disaster area.

Advance Child Tax Credit payments: People who received advance Child Tax Credit payments in 2021 need to ensure the amounts they've received are entered correctly on the 2021 tax return. Incorrect entries when reporting these payments mean the IRS will need to further review the tax return, creating an extensive delay. People can check the amount of their payments in their Online Account available on IRS.gov. The IRS also mailed letters to recipients about the advance Child Tax Credit payment amount. However, a limited group of taxpayers may receive a letter with the incorrect amount listed. More information about who might have received an incorrect letter can be found on our IRS Statement — Child Tax Credit Letters page.

Recovery Rebate Credit (also called stimulus payments or Economic Impact Payments):  All third-round Economic Impact Payments have been issued. People may claim any remaining stimulus payment they're entitled to on their 2021 tax return as part of the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit. People who are filing to get any remaining payment should ensure the amounts they've received are entered correctly on the tax return. Incorrect entries when reporting these payments mean the IRS will need to further review the tax return, creating an extensive delay. The IRS is mailing letters to payment recipients about the stimulus payments amounts they received. People can also check the amount of their payments in their Online Account available on IRS.gov.

Filing if your 2020 tax return is still being processed: For people whose tax returns from 2020 have not yet been processed, they should still file their 2021 tax returns. Those filing electronically in this group need their Adjusted Gross Income, or AGI, from their most recent tax return when they file electronically. For those waiting on their 2020 tax return to be processed, make sure to enter $0 (zero dollars) for last year's AGI on the 2021 tax return. Visit Validating Your Electronically Filed Tax Return for more details.

Status of IRS tax return inventory from prior years: COVID-19 continues to cause delays in the processing of some prior year tax returns and amended returns. Please visit our IRS Operations During COVID-19: Mission-critical functions continue page to find out the current status of the IRS inventory from prior years.

Form 1099-INT: Taxpayers should report interest from unemployment refunds, other IRS payments as 2021 income. The IRS reminded taxpayers who received an interest payment for a tax-related issue in 2021 need to report it as income on their tax return.

Under the law, interest income is taxable, and that includes payments from the IRS. During 2021, several groups of people could fall into this category. This includes people who received interest payments related to IRS refunds of taxes paid on unemployment income or people who received interest on a tax refund. Normally, the IRS is required to pay interest on a refund if the refund is issued after a statutory 45-day period.

The IRS is sending a Form 1099-INT to anyone who receives interest totaling at least $10. The IRS reminds people to watch their mail for Forms 1099, not just from the IRS and other payers. Due to IRS mailing issues and other factors, taxpayers may continue to see these arrive in the mail through February.

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