NY unemployment tax transcript missing for 2023 - filed but nothing showing
I filed my NY taxes back in April and just logged into the tax transcript system to check on my federal unemployment taxes, but there's absolutely nothing there for 2023. I already received my state tax refund (which included my unemployment income), but my federal refund is still missing. The weird thing is neither my state nor federal tax info is showing up on my transcript at all. What does this mean? Is this normal when you've claimed unemployment benefits? I'm starting to panic because I need that federal refund and I'm worried something's wrong with my filing. Has anyone else had their unemployment tax transcript completely missing like this?
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Freya Christensen
This is actually pretty common, especially if you claimed unemployment benefits. The tax transcript system often has delays showing current year returns. A few things to consider: 1. If you e-filed, it normally takes about 3-4 weeks for transcripts to update 2. If you paper filed, it can take 6-8 weeks or longer 3. The "Where's My Refund" tool is more reliable than transcripts for checking refund status The fact that you received your state refund is a good sign. I'd recommend checking the "Where's My Refund" tool on the IRS website instead of looking at transcripts. Don't panic just yet!
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Ravi Malhotra
•Thank you for the reassurance! I e-filed and it's been almost 5 weeks now. I did check the "Where's My Refund" tool but it just says it's still processing. Should I be concerned that it's taking this long? I claimed unemployment for about 4 months last year if that matters.
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Omar Farouk
same thing happened 2 me. took like 2 months for my transcript to show up after i filed. got my refund before the transcript even updated lol. dont worry abt it
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Ravi Malhotra
•That's actually really helpful to know! Did you have unemployment income on yours too? I'm hoping my refund comes through soon then.
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Omar Farouk
•yup had unemployment for like 6 months. think thats why it took longer cause they gotta verify all that stuff
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Chloe Davis
OMG I'm dealing with the EXACT same issue right now!!! Filed in April, got my NY state refund weeks ago, but NOTHING on my federal transcript and no federal refund!! I've been checking every single day and it's driving me CRAZY. This is my first time on unemployment so I had no idea if this was normal or if something went terribly wrong. I'm so stressed because I need that money for rent next month. What if they lost our returns?? What if we have to refile?? Has anyone actually called the IRS about this??
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AstroAlpha
•Take a deep breath! The IRS is notoriously slow, especially with returns that include unemployment. This happens every year. The system is just backlogged and unemployment claims trigger additional verification steps. I work with tax returns professionally, and I can tell you that calling the IRS usually won't speed anything up. You'll wait on hold for 2-3 hours only to be told "it's still processing." Unless it's been more than 8 weeks (for e-file) or 12 weeks (for paper), there's nothing to worry about yet.
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Diego Chavez
I tried calling the IRS last week about a similar issue (my transcript wasn't showing my unemployment income from 2023) and spent THREE HOURS on hold only to be disconnected. Then tried again the next day and waited another 2 hours. The whole system is a joke.
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Anastasia Smirnova
•I had the same impossible experience trying to call the IRS about my missing unemployment transcript. What finally worked for me was using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an agent. They have a service that navigates the phone system and calls you back when an agent is on the line. Saved me hours of frustration. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/Rdqa1gKtxuE if you want to see how it works. I was skeptical at first but it actually connected me within 30 minutes.
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Sean O'Brien
had this happen before. its cuz u had unemployment. they do extra reviews for unemployment claims. my brother files regular w2 and got his refund in like 2 weeks. mine took 2 months cause i had unemployment. nothing wrong just slow
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Freya Christensen
One important thing to remember is that tax transcripts and "Where's My Refund" are actually two separate systems that don't always update simultaneously. I've seen many cases where the refund is issued before the transcript is updated. For unemployment tax returns specifically, here's what typically happens: 1. Your return enters the processing queue 2. The IRS cross-references your reported unemployment income with what was reported on Form 1099-G 3. If everything matches, processing continues 4. If there's a discrepancy, your return gets flagged for manual review The vast majority of returns with unemployment income just take longer but process normally. Unless you receive a specific notice requesting additional information, you're probably fine.
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Ravi Malhotra
•That's really helpful to understand the process. I think everything should match up on my forms, so hopefully it's just the regular delay. Is there any way to check if my return was flagged for manual review?
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Freya Christensen
•Unfortunately, there's no way to check if your return is under manual review unless you speak directly with an IRS representative. If it has been flagged, you would eventually receive a letter requesting additional information or explaining any adjustments they've made to your return. But most returns with unemployment do not get flagged - they just take longer to process.
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AstroAlpha
Just to add some perspective - the IRS is still working through a significant backlog from previous years. Returns that include unemployment benefits typically undergo additional verification steps because there were so many fraud cases during the pandemic years. This extra scrutiny has carried over to current tax processing. If you e-filed in April and it's now May, I wouldn't be concerned yet. The IRS's published timeframes are best-case scenarios. If you haven't received anything by mid-June, then I would recommend trying to speak with an IRS representative. One tip: Check your tax transcript for a transaction code 570 (indicates a hold) or 971 (indicates a notice being sent). These would tell you if there's a specific issue being addressed.
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Ravi Malhotra
•Thank you for the detailed advice! I'll check for those codes, though I'm not seeing anything at all on my transcript yet. Mid-June seems so far away when I've been counting on that refund, but at least now I know this delay isn't unusual.
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Omar Farouk
check ur mail too. sometimes they send letters asking for more info but dont update the online stuff
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Ravi Malhotra
•Good point! I'll keep an eye on my mail. I haven't received anything yet, but I'll make sure I don't miss anything important.
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Chloe Davis
Has anyone tried going to their local IRS office in person? I'm wondering if that would be faster than calling? This is so stressful!
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AstroAlpha
•In-person visits require appointments, and they're typically booked weeks in advance. Also, the representatives at local offices often don't have any more access to accelerate processing than phone representatives do. They're most helpful for complex issues or when you need to submit documents in person. For a return that's simply still processing, an in-person visit likely won't speed things up.
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