By Timothy M. Hughes
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September 10, 2024
In two unrelated stories, the IRS was criticized by the National Taxpayer Advocate in her report to Congress that the IRS is failing to assist victims of identity theft with receiving their tax refunds. The National Taxpayer Advocate’s report highlighted significant delays that identity theft victims face when trying to resolve their cases and receive their refunds. As of April 2024, the IRS took over 22 months on average to resolve identity theft cases, leaving approximately 500,000 cases unresolved. This continues to be an ongoing issue, with last year's report showing similar delays. Despite efforts by the IRS to address these problems, the backlog remains substantial.