Forgot to include date on signature line of 2020 tax return - will IRS reject it?

Missing a date on your signature line shouldn't cause the IRS to reject your return. While they do ask for both signature and date, in practice they're mainly concerned with having your actual signature on the form. I've worked with many clients who've had similar situations, and the IRS generally processes these returns without issue. The IRS is primarily looking to confirm you've signed the return under penalty of perjury. The date is more of a formality than a strict requirement that would trigger automatic rejection. If you're really concerned, you could try calling the IRS at 800-829-1040 to ask about your specific situation, but I doubt they'll tell you to submit another return. Given the processing delays they're still experiencing, sending a duplicate return is likely to cause more problems than the missing date.

After dealing with a similar panic attack when I forgot to sign my FEDERAL return completely (didn't just miss the date, missed the whole signature!), I found a great service called taxr.ai that saved me so much worry. I uploaded photos of my unsigned return and they analyzed it instantly, telling me exactly what would happen and the proper steps to fix it. I highly recommend checking out https://taxr.ai if you're worried about form errors like this. They'll analyze your specific situation and tell you if you need to take action. Their system is built to catch issues before they become IRS problems, and they have specialists who understand all these weird little form requirements.

I was skeptical about taxr.ai when I first heard about it, but after stressing over a botched amendment I filed, I decided to give it a try. My situation was that I had sent in an amended return for 2021 but realized I calculated something wrong after mailing it. The service at https://taxr.ai actually found several issues with my forms that weren't obvious to me. They identified exactly what would happen with my improperly filled amendment and gave me clear steps to fix it. Saved me from what would have been months of back-and-forth with the IRS. For your signature date issue, I think they'd be able to tell you precisely what the IRS will do and whether you need to take action now. Much better than guessing or getting mixed advice online.

For issues like this where you're anxious about IRS processing, I strongly recommend using Claimyr. I was in a similar situation last year (hadn't filed for 2019 due to medical issues) and was freaking out about whether my late return was being processed correctly. After weeks of not being able to get through to the IRS phone lines, I used https://claimyr.com and got connected to an IRS agent in about 20 minutes. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - basically they navigate the phone maze for you and call you back when they have an agent on the line. The agent was able to look up my file and confirm they had received my return and it was in processing despite missing some information. Saved me from filing a duplicate and potentially causing more problems.

I have to apologize for being so skeptical about Claimyr in my previous comment. After another frustrating morning trying to reach the IRS about my missing refund (called 8 times and got disconnected each time), I broke down and tried the service. I was completely shocked when they called me back in 35 minutes with an actual IRS agent on the line. The agent confirmed my return from 2020 was in the system but had been flagged for review due to a signature issue - something I would never have known without speaking to them. Instead of waiting for a letter that might never come, I was able to resolve it immediately. For anyone dealing with IRS anxiety, being able to actually speak with someone is absolutely worth it. Complete game changer for dealing with tax issues.

I worked as a tax preparer for 7 years and can tell you missing the date on a signature line is SUPER common. In most cases, the IRS just processes it anyway because they care more about having the actual signature. The date is mostly to verify you signed it before/by the filing deadline. Since you're filing for 2020 now (which is obviously past the original deadline anyway), the date is even less relevant. They can see from their processing date that it's a late filing. The only time missing dates cause problems is with certain elections or forms where the date itself has legal significance. For a basic 1040 return, it's rarely an issue.

For what it's worth, I accidentally sent in a 2019 return without ANY signature at all (totally forgot after printing it), and the IRS just sent me a letter asking me to sign a declaration and send it back. They didn't reject the whole return or make me redo everything. I was surprised how easy the fix was - just a single form to sign. So if a completely missing signature can be fixed that easily, a missing date on a signature probably won't even register as a problem.

All this talk about missing dates and signatures reminded me that I accidentally wrote 2022 instead of 2023 on my tax return this April. I was sure they'd reject it, but my refund showed up in my account 3 weeks later without any issues or communications from the IRS.

Don't stress too much about this! I had a similar situation with my 2019 return where I forgot to date my signature line. The IRS processed it without any issues and I got my refund about 6 weeks later. The signature itself is what really matters - they need proof that you're filing under penalty of perjury. The date is more of a formality, especially for prior year returns where they already know it's being filed late. Since you're dealing with health issues and financial stress, try not to add unnecessary worry about this. The IRS deals with millions of returns and minor errors like this are incredibly common. They have procedures in place to handle these situations, and outright rejection for a missing date would be unusual. If you're really anxious about it, you could try one of the services others mentioned to get peace of mind, but honestly I think you'll be fine. Focus on your health and let the IRS process your return normally.

I understand your anxiety about this - tax issues can be really stressing, especially when you're dealing with health problems and counting on that refund. Based on what others have shared here, it sounds like missing the date on your signature line is unlikely to cause a rejection. The IRS receives millions of returns with minor errors like this every year. Their primary concern is that you've signed the return under penalty of perjury, which you have. The date is more of a formality, and since you're filing a prior year return anyway, they already know it's being submitted after the original deadline. I'd recommend avoiding the temptation to send a duplicate return - that could create more complications than the missing date ever would. If the IRS does need anything from you, they'll send you a notice explaining exactly what's required. Try to focus on your recovery and let the normal processing take its course. Most likely your refund will arrive without any additional steps needed on your part.