Filing for taxes tends to be quite overwhelming and intimidating when it comes to filing for taxes. Factually, it can be seen that filing for taxes requires a significant amount of due diligence and care on the part of the filers. Therefore, it is imperative from the perspective of filers to ensure that all details and information are properly represented in the financial statements in order to mitigate any chance of loss that might otherwise occur.
In the same manner, it is also equally important to make sure that payment made to the IRS in lieu of tax returns is also properly calculated, and paid accordingly so that there are no defaults on the part of the taxpayers. In case of excess payments, the amount is then refunded back to the taxpayer after all due diligence and processes have been completed.
There can be numerous different reasons for tax overpayment. It is possible that the taxpayer realizes this at a later that there has been a calculation that has been missed, because of which the tax liability has been reduced, hence resulting in a reduction in the tax liability.
Does IRS Refund Overpayment?
In case of taxes paid in excess, IRS does refund the excess amount of tax that is paid. This implies that in case where taxes are overpaid, IRS simply returns the excess in the form of a refund. It takes a period of around 21 days (3 weeks) to process, and duly issue the refunds.
Alternatively, the taxpayers also have the option to choose to adjust their overpaid taxes in the following year payments, which are then subsequently applied to the overpayment towards the taxes next year. This means that any overpaid taxes can be duly adjusted in the forthcoming years accordingly.
Therefore, the answer to the question is that yes, IRS does refund overpayments. However, it is up to the discretion of the taxpayer to choose either of the options, depending on their preference.
How to avoid IRS overpayment?
IRS overpayment, although can be adjusted or refunded, is often a source of confusion for the taxpayers. Therefore, taxpayers always avoid underpaying or overpaying taxes because it creates an uncalled-for confusion on the part of the taxpayers.
Mostly, overpayment occurs because of two main reasons: miscalculation, or credit claims by the taxpayers.
Hence, in order to avoid miscalculation to a maximum, it is important to ensure that returns are properly checked before they are filed. It is imperative for the taxpayers to double-check all due diligence-related procedures so that the chance for error is minimized to the utmost extent. In the same manner, it might also be helpful for the taxpayers to hire a separate lawyer for due diligence-related purposes.
How to file for a Refund?
Following overpayment of tax-related transactions, the taxpayers are supposed to file for refunds with the IRS. Refunds can either be filed electronically or through the normal refund filing process. If refunds are filed electronically, they are updated on the portal after an interval of 72 hours.
Alternatively, returns can also be filed manually through the physical documentation system. Despite the fact that this is a traditional process, yet it can be seen that this is a relatively time-consuming process.
How can refunds be received?
There are three different options that are available to the taxpayers pertaining to the refunds that are received by the taxpayers. These options are as follows:
- Direct Deposit: Refunds can be processed through Direct Deposits in the bank account of the taxpayer. Once the refunds are processed, the amount is directly credited to the account of the taxpayer. It is important to ensure that when filing for tax returns, only the personal account is properly mentioned in the records.
- Through Check: Taxpayers also have the option to receive their refunds via check. The check gets mailed from the IRS Office, after which the taxpayer can deposit it in their respective funds.
- U.S. Treasury Funds: Refunds can also be claimed via the U.S. Treasury Funds.
How to impact the IRS Refund Duration?
Regardless of the fact that IRS normally does process refunds within the designated time period, it can be seen that there are several different factors that impact the IRS Refund Duration. These factors are as follows:
- Timeliness of the filing: Returns that are filed in time are more likely to be processed faster as compared to returns that are filed towards the end, or at later dates. Hence, for returns to be filed in due time, it is important that returns are filed in due time.
- Credit Claims: When taxpayers claim for certain tax credits, including EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit), and CTC (Child Tax Credit), the overall likelihood of delays in tax refund process is quite significant.
How to monitor the refund status?
From the perspective of taxpayers, there is always a certain degree of ambiguity relating to the processing status of the refund, and the relative time as to when will the refund be processed and subsequently deposited into the accounts.
Taxpayers can check the refund status of their application using a tool referred to as “Where’s my Refund?”, that is available on the IRS website. It is also referred to as the Refund Hotline. It can be seen that refund status is not updated on a perpetual basis. In fact, it is updated on a periodic basis.
The portal is mostly updated twice a week. If not, it is definitely updated on Wednesdays. Once the return has been electronically filed, the applicant is advised to wait for a period of 72 hours before the status is updated.
How often are tax refunds processed by the IRS?
Tax Refunds are processed by IRS twice a week. On the first day of processing, IRS mostly processes refunds that are made through direct deposits. On the second day of processing, the IRS processes refunds that are meant to be sent via mail, or via other deposits.
How to ensure a smooth refund process?
In order to ensure a smooth tax filing and refund generation process, it is important to ensure that the taxpayers avoid red flags as much as possible. The following are the most common mistakes made by taxpayers that result in IRS Red Flags, and hence subsequent delays in the refund process. These red flags are as follows:
- Include all income: All income should be properly included and disclosed in the financial statements in order to ensure that there are no red flags on the part of the IRS. Complete disclosure of all income sources, as well as assets is important because the IRS eventually does find out about the income, which eventually results in an audit.
- Accuracy is the key: It is also important to ensure that all the information that is presented in the financial statements is accurate. It must not be overstated, or understated. Similarly, it is also imperative to check for all mathematical and arithmetic errors when it comes to filing returns, to reduce any error of double counting.
- Charitable donations: IRS is fully aware of the average donation size of the relevant income band. A lot of taxpayers make the mistake of showing a higher number of donations, more than the actual figure, and that eventually results in red flags on part of the IRS. Therefore, it is advisable only to include donations that have actually been occurred.