IRS Identity Theft Backlog Is Leaving Many Without Refunds (1)

The IRS has about 500,000 unresolved identity theft assistance cases and is taking on average longer than 22 months to resolve them, National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins said in her midyear report to Congress Wednesday.

Many of these taxpayers affected by identity fraud fall below the poverty line and need their refunds to pay expenses, Collins said.

IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel previously said an IRS initiative would reduce the time it takes for victims of identity fraud to receive their refund.

Though tax filing season this year was deemed an overall success, Collins said, the IRS suspended over 20 million ...