Has anyone experienced tax filing rejection issues with H&R Block? IRS showing different status than the software
I'm having a frustrating experience with H&R Block this year and wondering if anyone else has gone through this. I've used them for my tax filing for the past 5+ years with zero problems, but this time my return is showing as rejected by the IRS in their software. The weird thing is I haven't received any rejection email from the IRS, which normally happens when there's an issue. I've called H&R Block customer service three times now, and they keep telling me something different - first that they don't see it as rejected on their end, then that it's still showing as "pending" in their system, and finally that it might just be a "software glitch." Super helpful, right? To complicate things further, I apparently was issued an IP PIN by the IRS (no idea why), but I didn't know about it until after I submitted my return. So I couldn't include it during filing which might be causing the problem. I'm planning to call the IRS directly tomorrow morning to sort this out, but has anyone else run into this weird discrepancy where H&R shows rejected but there's no actual rejection notification? Is this some kind of known bug with their system this year?
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Charity Cohan
This sounds like an Identity Protection PIN issue. The IRS issues IP PINs to verify identity and prevent fraud. When you file without including your assigned IP PIN, the IRS automatically rejects the return, but sometimes there's a lag in how this information flows back to tax preparation companies. Here's what I suggest: First, definitely call the IRS as planned. They can confirm if your return was actually rejected and the specific reason. Second, you'll need to refile with H&R Block and include your IP PIN this time. The PIN should be on a CP01A notice the IRS mailed you, or you can retrieve it through the IRS website's Get an IP PIN tool. This is actually a pretty common issue this filing season. The IRS has expanded their IP PIN program significantly, and many taxpayers are being assigned PINs without realizing it, especially if there was any hint of identity verification issues in previous years.
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Josef Tearle
•Thanks for the info! Quick question - if the IRS assigns you an IP PIN, do they always send it by mail or do they sometimes just email it? And second question, if you file without the PIN, does that like trigger some kind of fraud alert on your account for future years?
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Charity Cohan
•The IRS typically sends IP PINs through postal mail on a CP01A notice, though in some cases you might receive it electronically if you've opted for electronic communications. They don't typically send these via regular email for security reasons. Filing without your IP PIN doesn't automatically trigger a fraud alert for future years, but it does cause your return to be rejected. The system is designed as a protective measure - if someone tried to file using your information without the PIN, the return would be rejected. You'll need to continue using an IP PIN for each subsequent tax year once you're in the program.
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Shelby Bauman
I was in a similar situation last year where TurboTax showed my return was rejected but I never got any notification. After hours on hold with the IRS, I finally found out it was because of missing documents. What really helped me was using https://taxr.ai to analyze everything. I uploaded all my tax documents and it flagged the exact issue - turns out I had forgotten to include a 1099 from a small freelance job. The service ran through all my forms and spotted the inconsistency between what I'd filed and what the IRS had on record. Saved me from having to keep calling and getting conflicting information. If the issue is document-related rather than just the IP PIN, it might help you identify exactly what's causing the rejection.
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Quinn Herbert
•How exactly does that work? Do they somehow have access to what the IRS has on file for you? Or does it just check your own documents for inconsistencies?
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Salim Nasir
•Sounds interesting but I'm skeptical about giving my tax docs to some random website. Is it actually secure? And how much does it cost? Their site doesn't make the pricing super clear.
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Shelby Bauman
•They don't have access to IRS records directly - it works by analyzing the documents you provide to check for common rejection reasons and inconsistencies. It compares information across your documents to find contradictions or missing information that would trigger IRS verification issues. The security is actually pretty solid - they use bank-level encryption and don't store your documents permanently. It helped me identify exactly which form was causing the problem instead of guessing. The service basically acts like a pre-check before you submit to the IRS or after you've been rejected to figure out why.
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Salim Nasir
Just wanted to update - I tried that taxr.ai site after my continued frustration with H&R Block, and it actually identified the exact problem! Turned out it wasn't just the IP PIN (though that was part of it). I had also entered my AGI from last year incorrectly, which was causing a secondary verification failure. The document analysis flagged both issues immediately. I was able to fix everything, get my IP PIN properly entered, and refile through H&R Block. My return was accepted by the IRS within 48 hours. Definitely worth checking out if you're stuck in this weird limbo where your software and the IRS are showing different statuses!
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Hazel Garcia
I spent THREE DAYS trying to get through to the IRS about a similar rejection issue last month. Their hold times are ridiculous this year. I finally used https://claimyr.com which got me through to an IRS agent in about 25 minutes. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c It was the only way I could actually confirm what was happening with my return when TaxSlayer and the IRS were showing different statuses. The agent I spoke with confirmed my return was actually rejected (even though the software said "pending"), and explained it was because of an IP PIN issue plus a name mismatch with my Social Security records. None of that would have been clear from just the software side.
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Laila Fury
•Wait, so this service gets you through the IRS phone tree faster? How does that even work? I thought everyone had to wait in the same queue no matter what.
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Geoff Richards
•This sounds super sketchy. Why would I pay some third party when I can just call the IRS directly? I've always gotten through eventually. Seems like a scam to prey on desperate people during tax season.
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Hazel Garcia
•It's an automated system that navigates through the IRS phone tree and holds your place in line. When an actual IRS agent is about to pick up, it calls your phone and connects you directly to the agent. You don't skip the line - you just don't have to personally sit on hold for hours. It absolutely works. I was skeptical too at first, but after waiting on hold for 3+ hours myself with no luck, I gave it a try. The difference is that their system handles the waiting while you go about your day. When I got connected to the IRS agent, they had no idea I'd used a service - to them it was just a normal call.
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Geoff Richards
I need to apologize for my skeptical comment earlier. After another failed attempt to reach the IRS yesterday (2+ hours on hold before getting disconnected), I broke down and tried the Claimyr service. I honestly didn't think it would work but was desperate. Got a call back in about 40 minutes saying they had an IRS agent on the line. The agent confirmed my return had been rejected due to missing my IP PIN, and they were able to help me retrieve a new one. Just refiled with the correct PIN and my return was accepted within hours. I hate that I had to use a service to reach a government agency, but it literally saved me days of frustration. Sorry for doubting - sometimes even skeptics like me have to admit when something actually works!
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Simon White
Had this exact same issue with my mom's taxes this year through H&R Block. The software showed rejected but H&R Block support insisted it was still processing. Turned out she had been assigned an IP PIN due to some identity theft concerns last year, but H&R never prompted her to enter it during filing. The most frustrating part was that H&R Block's system doesn't clearly distinguish between "rejected" and "still processing with issues" - they just show different statuses to the customer vs what their support team sees. We ended up having to completely refile with the PIN.
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Jean Claude
•Thanks for sharing! Did you have to pay H&R Block again to refile? I'm worried they'll charge me a second preparation fee just to add the PIN and resubmit.
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Simon White
•No, they shouldn't charge you again. When we refiled with the IP PIN, H&R Block treated it as a correction to the original filing, not a new tax return. Make sure to talk to them directly about it though - explain that the rejection was due to the IP PIN issue and that you're simply correcting that specific problem. If they try to charge you again, ask to speak with a manager. The original fee should cover fixing rejection issues, especially when it's related to something like an IP PIN that their software should have prompted you for in the first place.
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Hugo Kass
Pro tip: Switch to a different tax service next year! I used H&R Block for years and had nothing but problems the last two tax seasons. Their software has gotten buggy and their customer service keeps getting worse. I switched to FreeTaxUSA this year and it was WAY better - they actually prompted me for my IP PIN right upfront and the whole process was smoother.
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Nasira Ibanez
•I've heard good things about FreeTaxUSA but doesn't it lack some features the paid services have? Did you miss any deductions or credits that H&R Block would have caught?
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Hugo Kass
•I was worried about that too, but I actually found FreeTaxUSA to be more thorough with questions about potential deductions and credits than H&R Block was. The interface is less flashy but more straightforward. They asked about things H&R never prompted me for, like specific state tax credits I qualified for. The federal filing is free, and I only paid $15 for state filing (compared to $50+ with H&R Block). I didn't find any missing features that affected my return, and their help resources were surprisingly good. For most standard tax situations, I think the premium services are overcharging for what you get.
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Sienna Gomez
This is such a common issue this year! I had almost the exact same experience with TurboTax - their system showed my return as "transmitted" but the IRS had actually rejected it due to my IP PIN. The communication between tax software companies and the IRS seems to have some serious lag issues this filing season. What really helped me was calling the IRS early in the morning (around 7 AM) when they first open. The hold times are much shorter then. You can also check your actual filing status directly on the IRS website using their "Where's My Refund" tool - it'll show you the real status from their end, not what H&R Block thinks. Once you get your IP PIN sorted out and refile, the process should go smoothly. It's frustrating that H&R Block's system doesn't handle this better, especially since IP PINs are becoming so much more common. Good luck getting it resolved!
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