Home Tax Information Why Did the IRS Reject My Tax Return?
Published on: Jul 22, 2024
Published by: Meghen Ponder
The IRS rejecting your tax return can be a scary thing. Thankfully, it’s usually nothing to be overly concerned about.
Let’s examine why your income tax return may be rejected and what to do if you find yourself in that situation.
What does a IRS rejected tax return mean?
If you get a notice from the IRS that your federal income tax return has been rejected, it means they noticed an error and sent the return back to you for correction.
How will I be notified that my return has been rejected?
Depending on how you file, the IRS will typically notify you of a rejected return by email or regular mail. In the rejection notice, you’ll find a rejection code and an explanation of why the return was rejected.
Be wary of scammers attempting to steal your information, and always verify that the rejection notice came directly from the IRS. Watch out for scam calls in particular — the IRS will not usually call you about a rejected return unless they’ve repeatedly tried contacting you by other means.
Why did the IRS reject my tax return?
The IRS can reject your return for a variety of reasons. Here are some common ones:
- Missing or inaccurate information – If a name or number doesn’t match what the IRS has on file for you, they could reject your return. For example, if you changed your name after marriage, you need to update your name with the Social Security office for the IRS to know about your name change. Another issue could be a typo in a name or number when e-filing your return.
- The return was already accepted – The IRS will reject your return if they previously accepted a return with your Social Security number (SSN) or taxpayer identification number (TIN). If this happens, it could be a sign of fraud or identity theft.
- You claimed a dependent claimed on another return – If you attempt to claim a dependent (such as a child) already claimed on another tax return, your return would be rejected. An example could be a divorced parent trying to claim their child when their spouse already claimed the child on their return. The same could happen if the dependent files their own return and claims themselves.
- Your electronic signature doesn’t match – When you e-file, the IRS asks you to provide your adjusted gross income (AGI) from the previous tax year or an Identity Protection PIN to verify your identity. If the number(s) you provide do not match what the IRS has on file, your return will likely be rejected.
What should I do if my return is rejected?
If the IRS rejects your return, you must correct any errors and resubmit your return as soon as possible. You may be able to e-file your updated return for small mistakes like a typo, or the IRS may instruct you to mail in a paper return for more serious errors like identity theft.
How do I fix my rejected IRS tax return?
Once you’ve determined the error that triggered the rejection, you need to correct the mistake and resubmit your original return.
How long do I have to file my corrected return?
If the IRS rejects your federal return, you must correct any errors before the tax deadline (April 15 for tax year 2023). If the IRS rejects your return on or after Tax Day, you will have five days to correct and resubmit your return.
Some states have different grace periods for rejected returns, so always check how many days your state allows to re-file.
How can I prevent my return from being rejected?
You can take some precautions to minimize the chances of the IRS rejecting your tax return.
When e-filing, take extra care to make sure there are no typos in any names or numbers. Some common culprits that could cause a rejection are mismatched names, SSNs, employer EINs, electronic signature numbers, or an expired TIN.
Another action to take is to file your return early. This gives identity theft criminals less time to file a fraudulent return using your information.
My return was rejected due to identity theft. What should I do?
If someone used your stolen personal information to file a fraudulent return and claim your tax refund, acting as soon as possible is essential. Respond to any IRS correspondence right away by calling them with the number provided. You should also print and mail in Form 14039 with your filed return.
The IRS has a detailed page about what to do in the event of tax-related identity theft.
This article is for informational purposes only and not legal or financial advice.
FAQs
Some common culprits that could cause a rejection are mismatched names, SSNs, employer EINs, electronic signature numbers, or an expired TIN. Another action to take is to file your return early. This gives identity theft criminals less time to file a fraudulent return using your information.
What causes the IRS to reject your return? ›
If your tax return was rejected, it could be due to a number of reasons – such as missing information. However, there could be another issue, like a name or number that doesn't match up with the data the IRS already has on file.
What happens if the IRS denies your refund? ›
Generally, if you fully paid the tax and the IRS denies your tax refund claim, or if the IRS takes no action on the claim within six months, then you may file a refund suit. You can file a suit in a United States District Court or the United States Court of Federal Claims.
How many times can IRS reject efile? ›
Very odd-usually the IRS will force you to print and mail after 5 rejected e-file attempts.
Can the IRS accept then reject a return? ›
No, once the IRS accepts the return, it will not be rejected after. However, they may request additional information from you at any time. If you have received notice that the IRS accepted your return, you can be confident they have it, though that does not always mean they have processed it yet.
How do I fix a rejected tax return? ›
You should receive an explanation of why your return was rejected. If you made a mistake in entering a social security number, a payer's identification number, omitted a form, or misspelled a name, you can correct these errors and electronically file your tax return again.
Why has my refund been accepted but not approved? ›
"IRS Accepted Return But Not Approved" Meaning
If a taxpayer receives the status update that their tax return was accepted but not approved, this means that the IRS has received their tax return, but they have not yet evaluated the information.
Why would a refund decline? ›
If you attempt to do a Refund and get a decline error, it means the card issuer is indicating that the cardholder's account cannot accept a Refund. When a Refund decline occurs, the cardholder's payment method cannot be refunded. The following are common reasons for declines: The card account has been closed.
Why would my state return be rejected? ›
Incorrect Information
The most common cause of tax return rejection is mismatched personal information, such as a name or Social Security number. This could be due to something as simple as a typo, or it could be that you entered the wrong information on your form.
What does refund denied mean? ›
Some possible reasons for denial may include: request is outside of the time window, abuse of refund requests (meaning frequent requests for refunds because of "mistakes"), using a product for hours and claiming a refund. These are just possible examples of why a request might be denied.
There are several different rejection errors you can encounter. The e-file software that you use will give you a rejection report and explain what needs to be fixed before you can resubmit. Once you correct all of the errors, you can e-file once again.
What are the IRS rejection codes? ›
- Reject Code: F1040NR-036-05.
- Desktop: Reject Code F1040-469.
- Reject Code: F5695-042.
- IRS Rejects for Incorrect or Missing Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN)
- IRS Reject Code F8962-001-01.
- IRS Reject Code FW2-001-03.
- IRS Reject FPYMT-095.
- IRS Reject Code SA-F8936-030.
If your prior year AGI is wrong when you file, the IRS will reject your return. In most cases, when the IRS has rejected your tax return AGI, you can easily fix the amount and e-file your return again. To e-file your return again: Open your return in the H&R Block Tax Software.
What are reasons IRS rejects tax return? ›
Some common culprits that could cause a rejection are mismatched names, SSNs, employer EINs, electronic signature numbers, or an expired TIN. Another action to take is to file your return early. This gives identity theft criminals less time to file a fraudulent return using your information.
Does the IRS ever deny refunds? ›
The IRS can hold your current-year refund if it thinks you made an error on your current-year return, or if the IRS is auditing you or finds a discrepancy on a filed return from the past. If the IRS thinks you made an error on your return, the IRS can change your refund.
How long does it take the IRS to reject your return? ›
Generally, once your return is e-filed you will receive an acknowledgement email within 48 hours. This email will let you know if your return was accepted or rejected.
Why does my state return keep getting rejected? ›
Incorrect Information
The most common cause of tax return rejection is mismatched personal information, such as a name or Social Security number. This could be due to something as simple as a typo, or it could be that you entered the wrong information on your form.
Why would you get denied for a refund advance? ›
Your Personal or Financial Circ*mstances Have Changed.
Due to a change in circ*mstances, your tax preparer may determine that your refund will be insufficient to issue you a loan from tax refund advance, even if you consistently receive the same amount every year.
Why are my taxes being rejected because of AGI? ›
Rejection Due to Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) How can we help? If your return was rejected due to Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), your AGI from the prior year doesn't match the number in the IRS e-file database. Verify that the AGI you're using is from the original return and not an amended or corrected return.
