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IRS having trouble with E-file system

For the second time this year, the Internal Revenue Service is having problems telling taxpayers who file their federal returns electronically when to expect their refunds.

Seventy-two hours after filing online, taxpayers can use the IRS' Where's My Refund tool to find out approximately when their refund will arrive. However, some people who used this tool after filing were told the IRS had no information about their return.

The IRS has posted the following notice on its Where's My Refund page:

"Update: We are aware that some taxpayers who have filed electronically and received an acknowledgement from the IRS are concerned when they visit 'Where's My Refund' and are told that we have no information regarding their return. This is a temporary situation, and we expect to resolve the matter in a few days. At that time, taxpayers will be able to get an expected refund date when they visit 'Where's My Refund.'

"If a taxpayer received an acknowledgment message that their e-filed tax return has been received, they can be assured that the IRS has the tax return even though 'Where's My Refund' does not reflect that. Taxpayers should not call the IRS unless specifically directed by 'Where's My Refund,' as there is no new information to give them."

It adds that the "vast majority of tax refunds" will be issued within the historical range of 10 to 21 days.

Early this tax season, the IRS was issuing refunds about a week later than it initially told people who used the Where's My Refund tool. That glitch affected people who filed electronically Jan. 17-25 and chose direct deposit for their refund.

At that time, the IRS said the delay "relates to fine-tuning IRS systems to adjust for new safeguards put in place this tax season to provide stronger protection against refund fraud." That glitch was supposed to be fixed by Jan. 26.

The latest notice was posted Friday. "What the (tax-preparation) industry is hearing is that IRS has a legacy system and a new modernized e-file system" and the latest problems are related to the new system.

We are telling people if you E-file you get an acknowledgment that your return has been accepted, as long as you have that you are good.  You don't need to refile.