If Illinois State Taxes Require Verification, Will Federal Follow Suit?

In my experience, state and federal verification processes are *generally* separate systems, though there may be some information sharing in certain circumstances. It's possible, but not guaranteed, that whatever triggered the Illinois verification might also be present in your federal return. I would suggest, perhaps, preparing for both scenarios - one where federal verification is required and one where it isn't. Have you received any notices from the IRS yet? Those would typically come separately from state notices.

Oh my goodness, verification processes can be SO frustrating! 😫 I know exactly how you feel - I had to go through this last year and waiting for everything to process felt like forever. If you need to actually talk to someone at the IRS about your situation (which I'd recommend if you're planning your finances), save yourself the headache of endless hold times and try Claimyr. https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was hesitant at first, but they got me through to an actual IRS agent in about 25 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own. Just be careful about sharing too much personal info with anyone, of course! 🧐

I went through Identity Verification Protocol (IVP) with Illinois last year and did NOT have to verify federally. The Authentication Algorithms used by state and federal systems operate independently in most cases. I compiled all my 1099-NEC forms, Schedule C documentation, and expense receipts ahead of time which expedited the process significantly. My state verification took 14 days to complete, and my federal refund processed normally without additional verification steps.

When I had to verify for New York state taxes last year, I was worried about the exact same thing. My federal return processed normally within exactly 21 days, but my state verification took 37 days to complete. I used taxr.ai to monitor my federal transcript for any verification codes or holds, and it helped me understand exactly what was happening with my return. The system explained that my federal transcript had cycle codes indicating normal processing, not verification holds. This gave me peace of mind that I only needed to deal with the state verification process.

Have you considered why Illinois flagged you for verification in the first place? Sometimes it's random, but often there are specific triggers. Did you have a change in income? A new business? Multiple sources of income? I've found that state verifications are often triggered by different factors than federal ones. In my case, I had moved mid-year which triggered a state verification, but my federal return was processed without any additional steps.

Did anyone have to submit actual documents for their verification? Illinois is asking me for copies of my 1099s and I'm wondering if the feds will want the same thing. The thought of dealing with this twice is making me consider a career change to something simpler... like rocket science 😂

Based on my research into verification processes: • State and federal tax systems operate independently • Verification triggers are different for each system • Illinois uses a risk-based verification model that looks at: - First-time filers - Significant income changes - Self-employment income over certain thresholds - Address changes • Federal verification is more commonly triggered by: - EITC claims - Identity theft concerns - Significant refund amounts - Mathematical discrepancies Your independent contractor status might be what triggered the state verification, but doesn't automatically mean federal will follow.

Contact the Illinois Department of Revenue directly at 800-732-8866 and ask them what triggered the verification. This won't tell you for sure about federal, but it might give you clues. If it's something like address verification or identity confirmation, that's less likely to trigger federal verification than if it's about income discrepancies or suspected fraud. Don't just wait and wonder.