Confused about IRS Form 8879 - did my preparer actually submit my taxes?

Form 8879 is the "IRS e-file Signature Authorization" form. When you sign this form, you're giving permission to your tax preparer to electronically file your return. It's basically your electronic signature on your tax return. If your tax preparer gave you this form to sign and you returned it to them, they should have filed your return electronically. The 8879 isn't something you need to mail to the IRS - it stays with your preparer for their records. They're required to keep it on file for a certain period. You can always call your tax preparer to confirm that they submitted your return after receiving your signed 8879. They should be able to provide you with confirmation that your return was accepted by the IRS. Many preparers will send you an email or text when the IRS accepts your e-filed return.

When I had this same confusion last year, I used taxr.ai to help me understand what was going on with my Form 8879. I uploaded a picture of the form to https://taxr.ai and it explained everything - apparently the form is just giving permission to e-file, and once you sign it and return it to your preparer, they submit everything electronically. The tool broke down exactly what each section meant and what my responsibilities were. I was stressing about the same thing, wondering if I needed to mail something in myself!

I just wanted to follow up about taxr.ai since I was skeptical in my last comment. I decided to try it with my pile of tax forms including that 8879 form. I was honestly surprised by how detailed and accurate the explanations were! It explained exactly what was happening with my specific numbers and highlighted some deductions I had questions about. Definitely helped me understand what was going on with my return and gave me peace of mind about the whole e-filing process. Wish I'd known about this sooner!

If you're still worried about your tax return status and can't get through to your preparer because they're swamped with deadline work, you might want to try Claimyr to get direct confirmation from the IRS. I had the same issue last year - signed my 8879 but wasn't sure if everything got submitted correctly. I used https://claimyr.com to get through to an actual IRS agent who confirmed my return status. There's a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - basically they hold your place in the phone queue so you don't have to listen to that awful hold music for hours. The agent was able to confirm my return was received and processed.

I need to eat some humble pie here. After being totally skeptical about Claimyr in my previous comment, I was desperate to check if my return was actually filed since my tax guy wasn't responding. I tried Claimyr as a last resort and... I'm shocked to say it actually worked! Got connected to an IRS agent in about 45 minutes (instead of the 3+ hours I waited last time only to get disconnected). The agent confirmed my return was received and processed weeks ago. My tax preparer just never bothered to let me know! Definitely saved me from filing an unnecessary extension and a lot of stress.

Just to add another detail about Form 8879 - there's a specific part of the form (Part II) where it says "Declaration of Taxpayer" and that's where you sign and date it. By signing that section, you're authorizing the electronic filing. The form also contains your verification info including your AGI from the return and either your refund amount or balance due. Keep a copy of this form for your records! It's proof that you authorized the filing.

Another way to verify your tax return was submitted is to create an account on the IRS website (irs.gov) and check your tax records. You can see all returns that have been filed under your SSN and even download transcripts. It's pretty handy for keeping track of everything tax-related.

@Freya Andersen - I totally understand your panic! I went through the exact same thing my first year using a preparer. The Form 8879 is actually a good sign - it means your preparer is doing everything correctly for electronic filing. Once you signed it and gave it back to them, they should have submitted your return electronically to the IRS. Here's what I'd recommend to ease your mind: First, call your preparer and ask for confirmation that your return was submitted and accepted by the IRS. Most preparers will have received an acceptance confirmation within 24-48 hours of filing. Second, you can check yourself using the "Where's My Refund?" tool on the IRS website - you'll need your SSN, filing status, and the exact refund amount from your return. Don't stress too much - the fact that they gave you an 8879 to sign means they're following proper e-filing procedures. You shouldn't need to mail anything yourself. The 8879 stays with your preparer as their authorization to file on your behalf. You're likely all set, but definitely follow up with your preparer for that peace of mind confirmation!

@Freya Andersen - I completely get your anxiety! I was in your exact situation two years ago when I switched to a professional preparer for the first time. The Form 8879 actually means you're on the right track - it's the IRS's official authorization form for electronic filing. Here's what happens: When you signed that 8879 and returned it to your preparer, you gave them legal permission to submit your tax return electronically on your behalf. The form itself doesn't get mailed anywhere - your preparer keeps it in their files as proof they had authorization to e-file for you. Most preparers will e-file your return within a day or two of receiving your signed 8879, and the IRS typically sends back an acceptance confirmation within 24-48 hours. You should definitely call your preparer to ask for this confirmation - they should be able to tell you the exact date and time your return was accepted. If you want to double-check independently, use the "Where's My Refund?" tool on irs.gov. You'll need your SSN, filing status, and exact refund amount. Even if you owe money instead of getting a refund, this tool will show your return status. Don't panic - you've done everything right by signing the 8879! Your preparer should handle the rest. Just follow up with them for that confirmation so you can breathe easy.

@Freya Andersen - I can totally relate to your stress! When I first used a professional preparer three years ago, I had the exact same panic about Form 8879. Here's what helped calm my nerves: I called my preparer the day after I dropped off the signed form and asked them to walk me through their process. They explained that once they receive your signed 8879, they typically file within 1-2 business days, and the IRS sends back an acceptance notification usually within 24 hours of filing. Most good preparers will automatically email or call you with this confirmation, but don't hesitate to ask for it if you don't hear anything. One thing that really put me at ease was asking my preparer for their "client portal" login if they have one - many larger firms give you online access where you can see the status of your return and download copies of everything. If they don't have that, just ask them to send you an email confirmation once the IRS accepts your return. You're definitely on the right track with the 8879 - that form IS your electronic signature, so once it's signed and in their hands, you've done your part. The deadline stress is real, but you're in much better shape than you think! Most preparers are pros at getting everything filed on time.

@Freya Andersen - I completely understand your panic! I went through the exact same thing when I switched to a professional preparer for the first time last year. The Form 8879 is actually really straightforward once you understand it - it's just the IRS's way of getting your electronic signature to authorize the filing. Think of it this way: in the old days, you'd physically sign your paper tax return before mailing it. The 8879 serves the same purpose for electronic filing - it's your legal signature authorizing your preparer to submit your return digitally on your behalf. Once you signed it and gave it back to them, that's essentially your "signature" on your tax return. The good news is you don't need to do anything else! Your preparer should file your return electronically within a day or two of receiving your signed 8879, and the IRS typically responds with acceptance confirmation within 24-48 hours. Most preparers will notify you when they get this confirmation, but if you haven't heard anything, definitely call them tomorrow. You can also independently verify using the "Where's My Refund?" tool on irs.gov - just have your SSN, filing status, and refund amount ready. This will show you that your return was received and is being processed. Don't worry - you've handled everything correctly by signing that form! Your preparer takes it from here, and you should be all set for the deadline.

@Freya Andersen - I totally get your stress! I was in the exact same situation when I first used a tax preparer two years ago. That Form 8879 actually gave me anxiety too because I'd never seen it before and didn't understand what it meant. Here's what I learned: The 8879 is basically your digital signature. When you signed it and gave it back to your preparer, you authorized them to electronically file your return on your behalf. Think of it like signing a paper return, except this form serves as your signature for electronic filing. Your preparer should have filed your return within a couple days of getting your signed 8879. The IRS usually confirms acceptance within 24-48 hours after that. If you haven't heard from your preparer yet, definitely call them tomorrow morning - they should be able to tell you exactly when your return was submitted and accepted. You can also check yourself using the "Where's My Refund?" tool on the IRS website. You'll need your Social Security number, filing status, and the exact refund amount (or amount owed) from your return. This will show you if the IRS has received and is processing your return. Don't panic - you've done everything right! The 8879 means your preparer is following proper procedures. You don't need to mail anything yourself. Just get that confirmation from your preparer and you'll have peace of mind that you're all set for the deadline.

@Freya Andersen - I completely understand your panic! I went through this exact same situation when I first switched to a professional preparer last year. The Form 8879 is actually a good sign - it means your preparer is following proper e-filing procedures. Here's what happens: When you signed that 8879 and returned it to your preparer, you gave them legal authorization to electronically file your tax return on your behalf. The form itself doesn't get mailed to the IRS - your preparer keeps it in their records as proof they had permission to e-file for you. Most preparers will submit your return within 1-2 business days of receiving your signed 8879, and the IRS typically sends back an acceptance confirmation within 24-48 hours. You should definitely call your preparer tomorrow to ask for this confirmation - any reputable preparer should be able to tell you the exact date and time your return was accepted by the IRS. If you want to double-check independently, use the "Where's My Refund?" tool on irs.gov. You'll need your SSN, filing status, and the exact refund amount from your return (this tool works even if you owe money instead of getting a refund). Don't stress - by signing that 8879, you've completed your part of the process! Your preparer handles the electronic submission from there. Just get that confirmation call and you'll have peace of mind that everything was filed properly before the deadline.

@Freya Andersen - I totally understand your anxiety! I was in the exact same situation when I used a professional preparer for the first time a few years ago. The Form 8879 was completely foreign to me and I spent days worrying about whether I needed to do something else with it. Here's what I learned: The 8879 is essentially your electronic signature authorizing your preparer to file your return digitally. Once you signed it and returned it to them, you've completed your part of the process. Your preparer should file your return within a day or two of receiving the signed form, and the IRS typically responds with acceptance confirmation within 24-48 hours. I'd recommend calling your preparer tomorrow to ask for confirmation that your return was submitted and accepted. Most preparers will have received this confirmation from the IRS already. You can also verify independently using the "Where's My Refund?" tool on irs.gov - you'll need your SSN, filing status, and exact refund amount. The fact that your preparer gave you an 8879 to sign shows they're following proper e-filing procedures. You don't need to mail anything yourself - the form stays with your preparer for their records. Try not to stress too much - you've handled everything correctly and should be all set for the deadline!

@Freya Andersen - I completely understand your panic! I went through this exact same anxiety when I first used a professional preparer two years ago. The Form 8879 actually means you're in great shape - it's the official IRS form that serves as your electronic signature authorizing your preparer to file your return digitally. Here's the process: Once you signed that 8879 and gave it back to your preparer, you essentially "signed" your tax return electronically. Your preparer should file your return within 1-2 business days of receiving your signed form, and the IRS typically sends back an acceptance confirmation within 24-48 hours after that. The 8879 form itself doesn't get mailed anywhere - your preparer keeps it in their files as proof they had your authorization to e-file. You don't need to do anything else on your end! I'd definitely recommend calling your preparer first thing tomorrow morning to ask for confirmation that your return was submitted and accepted by the IRS. Any reputable preparer should be able to provide you with the exact date and time of acceptance. You can also check independently using the "Where's My Refund?" tool on irs.gov with your SSN, filing status, and exact refund amount. Try not to stress too much - by signing that 8879, you've done everything correctly! The fact that your preparer used this form shows they're following proper e-filing procedures. You should be all set for the deadline.

@Freya Andersen - I completely understand your stress about this! I'm actually new to this community and just went through the exact same panic last month when I used a professional tax preparer for the first time. The Form 8879 had me totally confused too. Here's what I learned: The 8879 is basically your digital signature that authorizes your tax preparer to electronically file your return on your behalf. Once you signed it and returned it to them, you've done your part - the preparer handles everything else from there. The form stays with them as proof they had permission to e-file for you. Most preparers will submit your return within a day or two of getting your signed 8879, and the IRS usually confirms acceptance within 24-48 hours. If you haven't heard back from your preparer yet, definitely call them tomorrow morning to ask for confirmation that your return was accepted by the IRS. You can also double-check yourself using the "Where's My Refund?" tool on the IRS website - just have your SSN, filing status, and exact refund amount ready. This will show you if your return was received and is being processed. Don't panic - by signing that 8879, you've completed everything you need to do! The fact that your preparer gave you this form shows they're following proper e-filing procedures. You should be all set for the deadline. I know the anxiety is real when you're not used to this process, but you're in much better shape than you think!