IRS Rejected Your Tax Return? Now What?

WASHINGTON – Tax Day is approaching fast and knowing how to handle a rejection from the IRS can help keep your return and refund on track.

Nearly 18 million — about 12% of e-filed individual tax returns — were rejected in fiscal year 2024, according to the National Taxpayer Advocate. Many rejections come down to basic errors — entering a Social Security number incorrectly, misspelling a name, or leaving out a required form — and can be corrected and resubmitted electronically. For other issues, the IRS may require you to mail your return instead.

Either way, the agency should provide an error code explaining why your return was rejected.

Once you know what went wrong, it's important to fix the issue quickly so your refund isn't delayed. As of Feb. 13, the average refund is $2,476 — up 14% from the same period a year ago — and that's expected to climb in the coming weeks, according to the IRS.

Taxpayers have until April 15, 2026, to file their 2025 tax returns and pay any tax due.

How do I know if my tax return was rejected?

Most people learn within 24 to 48 hours of e-filing whether the IRS has accepted or rejected their return.

If your return is rejected, you should get an alert from the system you used to file, directing you to the IRS rejection code and instructions.

Why was my tax return rejected?

Tax returns are often rejected for simple mistakes like entering the wrong Social Security number, misspelling a name, or missing forms. Usually, you can fix those problems and try to e-file again.

For tax year 2023, the top e-file rejection reason was entering a prior-year PIN or adjusted gross income that didn't match IRS records, according to the National Taxpayer Advocate's annual report.

If your return is rejected, you should receive an explanation of why. The IRS assigns specific reject codes depending on the issue. The IRS also offers an Error Search Tool to help with rejected returns for those using the Free File Fillable Forms.

How do I fix a rejected tax return?

Start by reviewing the rejection notice from the system you used to file, it will point to the IRS reject code and explain what needs to be corrected.

If it's a small mistake — like mistyping a Social Security number or a payer's identification number — you should be able to correct the error and electronically file your return again.

Of the nearly 18 million e-filed returns that were rejected in 2024, about 13 million — more than 70% — were ultimately accepted electronically, according to the National Taxpayer Advocate.

But some rejection situations will require you to mail a paper return instead. If you receive an error stating that your e-file tax return was rejected as a duplicate, that could signal a larger issue such as identity theft.

If fraud is suspected during processing, the IRS will contact you via mail with instructions, according to the agency.

What's the deadline for fixing a rejected tax return?

You haven't filed if the IRS rejects your return, so it's important to address any issues before Tax Day on April 15.

If your return is rejected at the end of the filing season, you have five days to correct any errors and resubmit your return electronically, according to the Taxpayer Advocate Service.

For those who need to file a paper return at the end of the season, the TAS says it must be postmarked by the return's due date — or within 10 calendar days of the IRS notifying you that your e-file was rejected, whichever is later — to be considered on time.

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