Shutdown Limits IRS Refund Payments, Phone Assistance: BGOV Tax

Shutdown Delays Many Tax Refunds

As the federal government shutdown starts its fourth week, the IRS is breaking down how taxpayers will face setbacks.

Individual taxpayers filing error-free returns electronically can still get their refunds via direct deposit. But other taxpayers awaiting refunds won’t get theirs until the government reopens.

Live customer service on the IRS’s telephone lines is limited, and the agency generally won’t be responding to paper correspondence. Taxpayer appointments with the agency’s appeals office will be canceled.

At the same time, all existing tax due dates are still in effect.

One week into the shutdown, the IRS ...