"Extreme delays" for millions of taxpayers awaiting IRS refunds

Millions of American taxpayers are still waiting for the IRS to process their federal income tax return — and waiting to receive their refunds, according to a new report from National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins. .

The lack of help for taxpayers was flagged by Collins, who noted that the "only resources readily available were IRS.gov and automated telephone lines." That proved frustrating to many taxpayers eager to determine when they'd receive their refund, she reported.

"While the overwhelming majority of taxpayers file electronically, taxpayers who file paper returns are experiencing extreme delays in processing their returns," the report noted.

She didn't specify the number of taxpayers impacted by incorrect stimulus check amounts, but earlier this month the U.S.

Individuals will receive the adjustment on their stimulus checks next year, when they file their returns for the 2020 tax year.

That's because the stimulus payments are effectively an advance on a 2020 tax credit, which means the IRS will check whether taxpayers got their full credit when they file their 2020 taxes.

"Struggling families in New Hampshire cannot wait until 2021 to receive the full stimulus payments to which they are entitled by law," New Hampshire lawmakers wrote in a letter to the IRS and Treasury last month. 

"The National Taxpayer Advocate recommends the IRS continue to work on solutions and alternatives to ensure that all individuals receive the EIP in its entirety in 2020 rather than having to wait until 2021 when they file their 2020 income tax returns," Collins wrote.