With growing backlog at the IRS, millions of Americans still waiting for their tax refunds

Millions of U.S. taxpayers are still waiting for their returns to be processed, with an already massive backlog at the IRS growing even larger in the past year, according to a new report from a government watchdog agency. 

The backlog of returns has swelled to 12.4 million returns still being processed as of September, an increase of 1.9 million returns from a year earlier, the Government Accountability Office found. As a result, millions of Americans have seen delays in getting their tax refunds, the agency noted.

The GAO's findings come after three brutal tax filing seasons for many taxpayers, with millions of returns caught in limbo as the pandemic posed a series of challenges for the IRS. The tax agency has subsequently hired thousands of new employees in the hope of being better prepared for the 2023 tax filing season, although the IRS recently warned taxpayers not to bank on getting their refunds by any specific date when they file their returns in early 2023.