PDF from Sprintax says to mail federal tax forms to IRS even though they already e-filed my federal tax return

Hi everyone, I'm super confused about my tax situation and hoping someone can help! This is my first time doing taxes here so I'm not sure what's normal. I just used Sprintax to prepare everything since I heard it's good for newcomers like me. So here's what happened - after I completed everything in Sprintax, the system generated a PDF with instructions saying I need to mail my federal tax forms to the IRS office. But then like 20 minutes later, I got an email from Sprintax confirming they had already e-filed my federal return! I was worried so I checked on the IRS website directly and when I entered my info, it showed my return has been received. Now I'm totally confused - do I still need to mail anything to the IRS if their website shows they've already received my return electronically? The PDF is pretty clear about mailing stuff, but the e-file seems to have gone through? Would really appreciate any advice since I don't want to mess up my first tax filing here!

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22 comments

Vera Visnjic

•8M

You don't need to mail anything in this case. What you're experiencing is actually quite common with tax preparation software. The PDF you received was likely generated automatically as part of the standard process, but since you opted for e-filing (and it was successfully received), you can disregard the mailing instructions. The most important confirmation is what you've already checked - the IRS website shows your return was received. That's your proof that the e-filing was successful. The system generates those mailing instructions as a fallback option or for people who might choose to print and mail instead of e-file.

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Vera Visnjic

•8M

Yes, absolutely keep the PDF for your records! It's recommended to keep all tax documents for at least 3 years after filing, as that's the standard period during which the IRS can audit your return. Some experts even suggest keeping them for 7 years to be extra safe. For refunds on e-filed returns, the IRS typically processes them within 21 days, though it can sometimes be faster. You can check the status of your refund on the IRS "Where's My Refund" tool after 24 hours of the IRS accepting your e-filed return.

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Brielle Johnson

•8M

I had the EXACT same issue with Sprintax last year! The software can be a bit confusing with those automatically generated instructions. I was stressing about whether I needed to mail documents even though I'd e-filed until I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai). They have this amazing document analyzer that cleared everything up for me. I just uploaded the confusing Sprintax PDF and it explained exactly what was going on and confirmed I didn't need to mail anything because the e-file was successful.

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Brielle Johnson

•8M

Yes, it absolutely works with all major tax software including TurboTax! It can analyze any tax document or form and explain what you're looking at in plain English. It's super helpful when you get those confusing notices or instructions. It's not about checking your filing status with the IRS directly - it's about understanding what all the different tax documents mean. The service analyzes the content of your tax documents and explains what action items you need to take. So when you get conflicting instructions like OP did, it clarifies what's actually required.

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Honorah King

•8M

I just wanted to update everyone - I tried taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here and it was incredibly helpful! I uploaded both the Sprintax PDF that said I needed to mail forms AND the e-file confirmation, and the system immediately explained that the mailing instructions were just standard text included in all downloads but that my e-file confirmation superseded those instructions. Saved me from unnecessarily sending duplicate information to the IRS. Will definitely use this again next tax season when I inevitably get confused again!

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Mary Bates

•8M

This is a common issue with tax software. If you're still worried about your situation, you might want to call the IRS directly to confirm. But good luck with that! I spent 4 hours on hold last month trying to get through. Eventually I found Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) - they have this service that navigates the IRS phone system for you and calls you back when an agent is about to pick up. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. Made a huge difference for my peace of mind when I was confused about a similar e-file situation.

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Mary Bates

•8M

It's actually pretty clever technology. They don't skip the line - their system calls the IRS and navigates through all the automated prompts for you. Then when it detects that a human agent is about to pick up, it calls you and connects you directly to that agent. So you're still "in line" but don't have to waste hours listening to hold music. No, there's no person waiting on hold for you - it's an automated system that does the waiting and then bridges the call to you when an agent is available. The IRS has no idea you're using a service - to them it just looks like a normal call that's been waiting in the queue.

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Oliver Brown

•8M

I've gotta eat my words here. After being skeptical about Claimyr, I decided to try it because I was desperate to talk to someone at the IRS about my amended return. I was expecting to wait 3+ hours like usual, but the service actually worked! Got a call back about 97 minutes later and was connected directly to an agent. Saved me from being stuck on speaker phone all afternoon. The agent confirmed exactly what others here said - if the IRS website shows they received your return, you don't need to mail anything. E-filing supersedes the mailing instructions in the PDF.

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Ayla Kumar

•8M

Mine wasn't random unfortunately. I had reported some cryptocurrency transactions but made a mistake in the calculations. The numbers didn't match what my exchange reported to the IRS, which triggered the audit. Nothing sinister on my part, just a math error, but it was still stressful. If you report everything accurately and keep good documentation, audits aren't usually a big deal - just time-consuming and annoying. The best protection is keeping all your tax documents organized, including those PDFs from tax software!

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GalaxyGuardian

•4M

Had a very similar experience with Sprintax last year! The key thing to remember is that tax software often generates multiple sets of instructions to cover all possible scenarios. Since your e-file was successful (confirmed by the IRS website), you can safely ignore the mailing instructions in the PDF. Just to put your mind at ease - when you e-file, the IRS receives your return digitally and it's processed much faster than paper returns. The PDF with mailing instructions is basically a backup plan that the software generates automatically, but since you went the e-file route successfully, those instructions don't apply to your situation. Keep that PDF for your records though - it's part of your tax documentation that you should hold onto for at least 3 years. Congrats on getting through your first tax filing here!

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Lucas Turner

•3M

Don't worry, this is totally normal! I work as a tax preparer and see this confusion all the time with Sprintax and other tax software. The PDF with mailing instructions is generated automatically for every user, regardless of whether they choose to e-file or mail their return. It's essentially a "just in case" document. Since the IRS website confirms they received your e-filed return, you're all set! The electronic filing takes precedence over any paper filing instructions. The only time you'd need to mail anything is if the e-file had been rejected, which clearly didn't happen in your case. Just make sure to save that PDF along with your other tax documents - you'll want to keep all tax records for at least 3 years. And don't stress about being new to this - everyone goes through the same learning curve with taxes!

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