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I filed electronically (e-filing) but my tax return was rejected. What do I do now?
Q) I filed electronically (e-filing) but my tax return was rejected. What do I do now?
A) According to the IRS – There must be an error on your return. Please review the following:
- You should receive an explanation of why the return was rejected.
- If a mistake was made when entering a social security number, a payer’s identification number, omitting a form, or misspelling a name; the errors can be corrected and the return can be resubmitted electronically again with the IRS.
- Unfortunately, there are other errors that will cause you to have to file a paper return by mail.
- If you have further questions, call us toll-free at 800-829-1040.
- For general information about e-file, refer to Filing Your Taxes.
Because the IRS processes the first return it receives, if another person claims your dependent first, the IRS will reject your return. The IRS won’t tell you who claimed your dependent. But if you don’t suspect anyone who could have claimed the dependent, your dependent may be a victim of tax identity theft. You’ll need to take some steps to protect your right to claim the dependent and your refund if you don’t think that the other person was eligible to claim your dependent. First, double check that you meet all of the requirements to claim the dependent.
The IRS may delay your refund while the IRS looks into the issue, but you should still receive your refund. File a paper return. Note that when you file a paper return, it can take six to eight weeks for the IRS to process. This includes things like birth certificates and proof of identity, but also documents that show that your dependent lived with you at the same address for more than half of the year. This doesn’t mean that you can’t correct the situation. Don’t panic. The most important thing to remember is to prove with proper documentation that you are entitled to claim the dependent. Document your case as the IRS rules for claiming a dependent can get complicated.