IRS cross-checks these income amounts

The IRS checks the income amounts you claim on you return against the forms and information filed by others, like employers. This can include wages, interest, stocks, and other income related amounts. The IRS uses information matching to strengthen security reviews that help protect against identity theft and refund fraud. This process can take time and depends on the payers filing these forms timely.

During this cross-check process, if IRS records don’t match what you report on your tax return, they could stop processing the return to resolve the discrepancy – thus delaying the return and any associate refund due you. That’s why it is so critical that you wait until you receive final year-end income related documents before filing, so there won’t be any discrepancies.

• If you are not sure what is considered income, see What is Taxable and Nontaxable Income?
• If you receive an IRS notice or letter about this, don’t wait to respond. See our I Got A Notice From The IRS Get Help page, use our Taxpayer Roadmap Notice look-up feature or use IRS’s Understanding Your IRS Notice or Letter page for more information on what the correspondence means, what you need to know or do, and the timeframe/due date you must reply by.

Avoid having to amend your tax return

Amending your tax return after filing your taxes to report additional income missed on your original return, if you forgot something or didn’t enter the correct amount, is no easy task and can take anywhere from 8 to 12 weeks or more to process. So, it really is worth waiting to file until all final income documents are received to avoid having to file an amended tax return.

Didn’t receive an income-related form?

Your employer and educational institutions have until January 31, 2023, to send your W-2, Form 1098-T, and other income forms. Some exceptions to this rule may apply. The due date for other forms such as Forms 1099-B, 1099-S, and 1099-MISC (if amounts are reported in box 8 or 14) is generally February 18, 2023.

Please note that different due dates may apply to other forms and versions of the Form 1099.

• If you don’t get your income form(s) by mid-February, you should contact your employer, bank, other financial institution, etc., first and request the needed form.
• If you still can‘t secure a copy, see these links below:
  • For help with securing employment forms, see IRS Can Help Get Form W-2 or the page Help to Obtain Current Tax Year Information.
  • For Form 1098-T information and help, see Publication 970.

Follow these other tax filing tips

If you prepare your own tax return using software or on paper, take a look at these tips to avoid common federal tax filing errors that will help you avoid most processing delays. You can also watch our short video.

Keep this handout nearby as you are completing your tax return.

You can also visit our TAS Tax Tips page throughout the tax filing season to see updated information as it is released.

More resources and information

• Steps to Take Now to Get a Jump on Your Taxes (includes information on what’s new and what to consider when you file in 2023)
• Under-Reporting Income
• I made a mistake on my taxes
• TAS Tax Tip: Federal tax filing information and tips to help you avoid common errors
• Filing for Individuals