Many Americans receiving federal tax refunds have been watching their mailboxes only to be disappointed day after day. Same for those expecting direct deposits. So what's taking so long?

With the extended federal tax filing deadline today, the IRS has seen over an 11% decrease in the number of Americans filing by this same time last year. The Coronavirus pandemic may have played a role as most IRS assistance centers were closed and many tax service locations empty as the Coronavirus pandemic had everyone quarantined. Phone help services were also shut down throughout the quarantine. So this tax season has been a real mess.

Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images
Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images
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Normally, if you filed your tax returns non-electronically (paper), you'd have your money in under 8 weeks but this year due to the pandemic, it will more than likely take a lot longer due to reduced IRS staff.

Another reason for the delay of your non-electronically filed tax returns may be changes to federal tax laws that took effect after the IRS received your information. You might also have accidentally filled out something incorrectly. Something as small as one incorrect number in your Social Security number could have you needing to refile. If part of your refund is going toward child support or any type of "refund offsets" for that matter, it could also delay the processing of your refund.

The IRS claims if you filed electronically, you should have your refund in about three weeks.

The IRS website designed to update and track Americans' refunds has experienced crashes and glitches leaving many in the dark.

If you haven't received your refund, it's more than likely due to the Coronavirus pandemic but If you suspect something has gone terribly wrong, see your tax professional. You may have to refile.

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