While we are in the midst of the longest government shutdown on record, many have begun to worry about the possibility of delays when it comes to the issuance of Federal tax refunds. Because non-essential IRS employees are not showing up for work, many have wondered to what extent this might slow down the refund process.
Fortunately, most of the IRS work as it relates to processing filed returns and preparing refunds is automated and automatic. In other words, there is likely no human component involved in reviewing your return or processing your refund. Thus, if you are concerned about the timing of your refund check, you should do two things: 1) make sure that you file your return electronically rather than mailing in a hard copy; and 2) you should request the refund be directly deposited into your bank account. Filing a paper return or getting a paper check will likely delay your refund if the government shutdown does not resolve itself soon.