Our Client: Leanne Gets Her Due

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​After her 2020 tax refund had been delayed for several months due to a reporting error by an employer, Leanne sought help from Legal Aid’s Low Income Tax Clinic (LITC). Leanne’s refund was under review by the IRS’ Employment Verification (EV) unit because of two issues: a W-2 that was not reported by the employer and a second W-2 that was reported twice. The LITC attorney contacted the IRS but was told that no action could be taken until the EV unit finished its review, despite the fact that the attorney had documents she believed would clear up the issue.

​This delay was a hardship for Leanne, a single mother who was counting on the refund to pay several outstanding bills. The LITC attorney filed a request with the taxpayer advocate service asking for assistance due to hardship; the advocate service agreed to intervene on Leanne’s behalf. The intervention enabled the LITC attorney to submit documents from the employer to demonstrate that Leanne’s income and the federal tax withholding reported on her 2020 return was correct. Shortly thereafter, the IRS released the nearly $3,000 refund to Leanne.