This article is an extension of the article entitled: THE FINAL IRS TECH CRISIS COUNTDOWN: This Evening on the Extended Tax Day.
Because it is reported that some returns were not getting through to the IRS, we advise you to be sure that you’ve received an email confirmation that the IRS has accepted your e-file.
IRS AND STAKEHOLDERS' RESPONSE TO THE 4.17.2018 CRISIS
As BEP Techs, we observed that the IRS appeared to perform well under pressure by having the website operational again by 5:05 p.m. and taking responsibility by apologizing for the disruption of service.
Filing software companies such as H&R Block and TurboTax responded quickly to the emergency change by also accommodating the extended deadline allowing customers to file online another day and leaving website updates about the one day IRS extension.
It has been reported that the IRS Acting Commissioner David J. Kautter stated that
“the agency was struggling to accept returns from widely used software programs such as TurboTax and Intuit as well as from H&R Block.
Kautter said that taxpayers should keep using those systems but that some returns were not getting through to the IRS.”
For example, if you’ve e-filed, H&R Block issues an email that says:
“Congratulations! The IRS has accepted your return. Your 2017 federal taxes are complete...
You'll receive your confirmation number the next time you check your return status within the H&R Block software program. (Hang on to this confirmation number -- you'll need it to track your return with the IRS.)
Check your return status
Connect to the internet, then open your H&R Block software program.
From the Welcome screen, choose the return you e-filed. Be sure to choose the return you transmitted -- not a duplicate copy.
Click Check Status (next to the file's name).
If you've already navigated away from the Check Status screen, follow these steps:
Open your H&R Block software program.
On the Welcome screen, choose the return you e-filed.
Go to the File menu, then click Check Status.”
Also, if you've filed with H&R Block, you can also use these procedures to check your filing status with H&R Block:
ADVICE IF YOU USED TURBOTAX'S E-FILING SOFTWARE
For Turbo tax, use the link: https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1908859-how-do-i-check-my-e-file-status
And did you know that even Alexa can check your e-filing status for you?
We would love to hear what cyber security specialists AND non-cyber security tax filers think about the involvement of Alexa in tax filings.