No tax refund yet. Could a creditor have taken it? How will I know?

[ccaplinger]

We are waiting on our tax refund to finish paying off the attorney to file our bankruptcy. Unfortunately this year has been a nightmare getting our taxes filed. We tried to file electronically but the IRS rejected our return saying someone had filed a tax return under my husband's social security number. NOT possible. After calling the IRS we had to file a paper file which has basically tripled the time it will take to receive our tax return. The IRS web site says we should receive our refund today. It's not there. It is our ONLY income right now. We NEED it badly. My husband can't work anymore due to medical issues and I can't seem to find a job.

Could a creditor have taken our refund? If so how will we know?

If we don't get the refund we could be in deep doo doo.

In addition we also had to file our state return by paper which has obviously slowed down that refund too. Although it is only a few hundred it would still help some. Having filed electronically for the past many many years I forgot to include the W2. So they sent us a bill for the taxes. I sent in the W2 and now we have to wait again.

Why is it that the federal and state government have it out for us this year?

[justbroke]

You can just call the IRS and ask the status. Additionally, when the IRS says it will be there 4/3 - 4/10/2012, they usually mean the Friday in-between those dates (for electronic deposit).

The IRS was having issues with the electronic transfers late in January and through February. I'm sure they worked out their "new" system.

[ccaplinger]

Thanks. I guess I shouldn't panic until at least Friday then.

[btbeme]

I don't know that a creditor can "take" a tax refund, unless that creditor is the federal government.

[justbroke]

There are other "special" creditors that can use a setoff of your Federal Taxes. I do know that child support owed to a State is one of such "creditors".

[shark66]

There's a lot more to the story than just the initial software mess-up that IRS had in January.

Google around and you'll see that there are zillions of people in tax refund limbo...

Do not count on that money until it's in your hands. Seriously.

Good luck to us all.