A WOMAN was blocked from cashing in her tax refund due to a typo by the Internal Revenue Service – and they wouldn’t help for months.
Myrna Hoffman’s daughter got caught up in a year-long battle with the IRS over $11,000 her mom was due from her 2023 taxes.
During the previous tax season, Debra Hoffman attempted to deposit a tax refund check for her mother that had been sent by the US Treasury, as reported by New York City ABC affiliate WABC-TV.
Her mom worked hard for her cash and started her career at a clothing boutique in the 1950s.
Now, 92-year-old Myrna suffers from dementia, so Debra was helping her mom cash in her 2023 refund check.
However, there was a major problem with Myrna’s funds.
The check had the percent sign and Myrna’s first name on it, but no last name, Debra told the outlet.
Debra, who lives on Long Island, New York, couldn’t cash the check for her mom because of the typo.
To make matters worse, the IRS wasn’t very responsive about its mistake.
Debra mentioned, “After finally managing to get through to someone, I was informed that it would take 30 days to receive a new check, but that never materialized.”
The massive check was left in limbo for months.
Debra was even more stressed about the money after her mom got sick.
She said she couldn’t believe the US Treasury would make such a major mistake.
After Debra reached out to WABC-TV to share her story, the outlet contacted the IRS.
Thankfully, the agency resent the check.
After months of fighting, a typo-free check was finally made out to Myrna.
2025 Tax Season
Tax season started on January 27 and folks must have theirs completed filed on April 15.
Those who fail to file by that time may face penalties.
However, taxpayers who need more time may file for an extension – this gives them until October 15.
The way to do this is by filling out Form 4868, the Application for Automatic Extension of Time To File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return.
This can be done by mail, online with an IRS e-filing partner, or through a tax professional.
While there’s no set schedule, the IRS revealed that taxpayers may receive refunds within 21 days of filing.
Just be sure to avoid making mistakes on any forms as that could tack on extra time.
Those filing through mail will likely get their returns within a month or could even face delays as the IRS processes millions.
As of January 31, the average refund amount totaled $1,928, per the IRS.
This is compared to the $1,395 for the same period in 2024.
The average direct deposit refund for 2025 was even higher, the IRS said, at $2,069.
To check the status of your refund, The IRS has an online tool called Where’s My Refund?
This works within 24 hours of e-filing and generally within four weeks of filing a paper return.
Although Myrna and Debra encountered tax-related troubles, it is anticipated that the majority of Americans will experience a smoother process when filing their tax returns this year, despite the termination of numerous IRS employees by President Donald Trump.
The massive cuts are expected to cause serious delays in returns during peak filing season.
There are still a few weeks left to file, as Americans have until April 15, 2025, to get their federal returns.
However, there are three ways taxpayers can get an extension.
First, Americans can request an extension to file instead by October 15, according to the IRS website.
Extension requests have to be submitted before the original deadline of April 15 by using Form 4868.
You can also extend your deadline through an IRS e-filing partner or a local tax professional.
