The IRS has a surprise for some taxpayers: they owe refunds! But here's where it gets controversial: these refunds are for pandemic-era penalty tax relief that some taxpayers were mistakenly left out of. According to a new watchdog audit, more than 2,100 taxpayers have had their tax accounts corrected, collectively eligible for an estimated $463,000 in refunds. The IRS has credited the overlooked taxpayers' accounts by the amount owed to them, and those adjustments either reduce any balance owed or may be refunded via a check or direct deposit if there's no balance. But the story doesn't end there. As the 2026 tax-filing season gets underway, there may be some challenges to be aware of. For starters, be aware that if you mail your returns, it's worth getting to the post office plenty of time ahead of the tax-filing deadline, which is April 15. Due to operational changes at the U.S. Postal Service, the agency expects an increase in delays between when you mail something and when it is postmarked. So, while the IRS considers any tax return postmarked on or before April 15 as being filed on time, you can't assume that dropping your return at the post office or putting it in a mailbox means it will get postmarked the day you drop it off. Given additional challenges such as the 27% workforce reduction at the IRS and tax law changes from President Trump's so-called big beautiful bill, 'the success of the filing season will be defined by how well the IRS is able to assist the millions of taxpayers who experience problems,' National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins said in her annual report to Congress.
