PHOENIX — The tax filing deadline is about a month away. Meanwhile, Dan Zimmerman is still trying to get answers about a tax return from years ago.
Zimmerman says the IRS told him they destroyed the check he sent to pay his taxes.
He sent another check, ended up with a $1,000 overpayment, and has been getting promises but no action from the IRS ever since.
"I've called maybe 50 times," he says.
Customer service has been a big issue for the IRS.
In 2021, only 11% of callers got through. It was just 13% in 2022.
But the IRS added 4,000 new customer service reps.
IRS Special Agent Brian Watson says about 85% of calls to the IRS are answered now.
Many of those calls are about refunds, but Watson says current filers should have another concern: cheating tax preparers.
"I'm investigating a guy who is doing this right now," he says.
Watson says, by far, most preparers are doing things correctly but he is finding some preparers putting false information on returns, like a fake business.
"The preparer will create a business, say photography, and that business will have a loss. That loss offsets W2 income so the overall income is reduced, which increases the refund," Watson says.
And the payoff for the preparer?
"When people get big refunds, they tell their friends and that gets people in the door so they can charge more," he says.
In some cases, Watson says preparers add a tax credit by adding to your family.
"We'll actually see tax preparers loan kids out, give you a kid that belongs to someone else to use on your return to maximize that refund for you," Watson says.
Protect yourself. If hiring a tax preparer:
- Check your return line by line before filing.
- Make sure the preparer signs the return.
- Check this IRS directory of tax preparers who have the required preparer tax ID number.
Whether you hire a preparer or not, if there's a problem later, Watson says, "you're the one who's on the hook for the money."
Zimmerman finally got some good news.
A month after our visit, he got a $1,000 check.
Are you looking for your refund? Try the IRS Where's My Refund page.
The Taxpayer Advocate Service can also help with your IRS issues.
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