A tax refund can look perfectly ordinary on your end and still raise questions at the IRS. Millions of taxpayers have experienced delays after the agency flagged returns for additional review, including checks designed to catch identity theft and suspicious refund claims.
The IRS flagged approximately 2.1 million returns for potential identity theft during the 2025 filing season. Those taxpayers needed to verify their identities before receiving their refunds. The following filing season brought its own processing problems, including additional reviews and delays affecting taxpayers who expected paper refund checks.
Nobody can guarantee a speedy refund, but a careful review before filing can eliminate some avoidable headaches. Before submitting a 2026 tax return in 2027, check these seven details.
1. Make Sure Your Name And Social Security Number Match
A small spelling mistake can cause a surprisingly large administrative headache. The IRS checks taxpayer identification information against its records, and mismatches can trigger electronic filing rejections or require corrections.
Compare your name and Social Security number with your Social Security card. Pay particular attention to recent name changes following marriage, divorce, or another legal change. If your records have not caught up, resolve the discrepancy before filing when possible.
The same review applies to your spouse and dependents. One mistyped digit can derail an otherwise accurate return. Tax software can catch many obvious errors, but it cannot guarantee that every detail matches official records.
2. Recheck Who Qualifies As A Dependent
Family arrangements rarely fit neatly into tax software’s boxes. Parents might share custody, adult children might move home, and relatives might provide financial support under changing circumstances.
Before claiming a dependent, check the IRS eligibility rules rather than relying on last year’s return. Certain benefits depend on relationship, residency, income, support, and other requirements. A child who qualified last year might not qualify this year, even if the household situation feels largely unchanged.
Also, confirm every dependent’s identification number. If someone else has already claimed a dependent, the IRS may need additional information to resolve the competing claims. A duplicate claim does not automatically mean fraud, but it can complicate filing and delay a refund.
3. Account For Every Source Of Income
Tax paperwork has a habit of arriving in pieces. An employer sends a W-2, a bank issues a 1099, and a side gig produces another document just when the folder seemed complete. Collect the forms that apply to your situation before filing. Check wages, interest, retirement distributions, freelance income, and other taxable earnings. If you worked multiple jobs or changed employers, make sure you include the information from each one.
Do not assume that a missing tax form means the income does not count. Check with the issuer if a document appears late or contains incorrect information. Filing with incomplete figures can lead to corrections, additional questions, or an amended return later.
4. Verify Your Filing Status And Tax Claims
Tax filing software can make complicated decisions feel deceptively simple. Click a few boxes, answer some questions, and suddenly a screen announces your refund. Resist the temptation to treat that number as final before reviewing your answers.
Check whether your filing status reflects your circumstances for the tax year. Review any claimed credits and deductions, particularly those involving children, education, caregiving, or other eligibility requirements. A change in household income or living arrangements can affect whether you qualify.
Keep documentation supporting claims that require it. You generally do not need to send unsolicited paperwork with your return, but you should retain relevant records in case the IRS requests them. A confident click cannot replace eligibility.
5. Double-Check Your Bank Account Details
A refund delay does not always begin with an identity question. Sometimes the problem involves getting the money to the right place. Review your bank routing number and account number before submitting your return. Confirm that the account belongs to someone authorized to receive the deposit, and check every digit carefully. Copying information from an old form without checking it can turn a routine refund into a frustrating follow-up task.
The IRS also faced refund distribution problems during the 2026 filing season as it moved away from paper checks. The Government Accountability Office reported that the agency sent approximately 4.2 million notices requesting banking information by early May 2026.
That development involved refund delivery, not identity verification. Still, it illustrates why payment details deserve attention alongside the numbers on your tax return.
6. Check For An Identity Protection PIN
An Identity Protection Personal Identification Number, or IP PIN, helps prevent someone else from filing a federal tax return using your Social Security number or individual taxpayer identification number.
The IRS offers this free six-digit number to eligible taxpayers who verify their identities. You do not need to have experienced tax-related identity theft to request one.
If the IRS assigned you an IP PIN or you enrolled in the program, retrieve your current number before filing. The IRS generates a new number each year, so last year’s PIN will not work for a 2027 filing.
Enter the correct number wherever your tax software requests it. A missing or incorrect PIN can cause an electronic return rejection or delay a paper return. Keep the number private, and never provide it to someone who contacts you unexpectedly.
7. Watch For IRS Notices And Keep Your Records
An unexpected IRS letter can turn an ordinary filing season into a paperwork scavenger hunt. Checking your mail and IRS online account can help you spot requests that need attention.
If the IRS asks you to verify your identity and return, follow the instructions on the notice. Depending on the letter, you may need your current return, a previous return, and supporting documents such as W-2s or 1099s.
Use the official IRS website to verify that a notice is legitimate. Scammers sometimes impersonate tax agencies, especially when people expect refunds. The IRS will not ask you to disclose your IP PIN through an unsolicited phone call, text, or email.
Keep a copy of your submitted return and supporting records. If a question arises later, having the documents organized beats reconstructing an entire tax year from scattered emails and forgotten downloads.
A Clean Return Helps, But It Cannot Control Everything
These checks can prevent common errors, protect against certain forms of identity theft, and make it easier to respond if the IRS requests information. They cannot prevent every review or guarantee that a refund will arrive quickly. The IRS uses security checks to identify potentially fraudulent returns, and legitimate taxpayers can get caught in those checks. If you receive a verification notice, respond through the official process rather than filing a second return in an attempt to speed things up.
Before filing in 2027, give your return one final review with fresh eyes. The few minutes spent checking names, income, dependents, and banking information could spare you a much longer wait over a mistake you could have caught at home.
Has an IRS verification request ever delayed your refund, or have you found a simple filing mistake before submitting your return? What happened?
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Brandon Marcus is a writer who has been sharing the written word since a very young age. His interests include sports, history, pop culture, and so much more. When he isn’t writing, he spends his time jogging, drinking coffee, or attempting to read a long book he may never complete.
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