What is a government shutdown?
It's a lie told to scare people. The government doesn't actually shut down. Some things just don't get funding. So some things don't get paid. That doesn't mean that the government is literally shut down. A true government shut down means that nobody recognizes the authority of the government and/or the government is taken over by enemy forces effectively shutting down the government.
Is it true that because of the government shutdown we will not be receiving our tax refunds?
They may be delayed because most of the IRS has been shutdown. How long the delay is depends on how long the shutdown lasts.
How, if it is true that in a government shutdown some workers are compelled to work without pay, does this not violate the 13th amendment banning involuntary servitude?
During the 2014 shutdown, I was among the lowly government employees whose jobs are absolutely essential. We didn’t get 2 weeks of paid vacation, like the non-essential government employees.Our pay continued. All essential government employees continued to get pay. The government employees whose job is not necessary for the functioning of government are given paid vacation, at these times. If you are a benefits counselor with the VA, for instance, you get paid vacation for this time. If you are an ER doctor at the VA, you’re still working.If it’s your job to determine the validity of family visas for Immigration and Naturalization services, you get paid vacation. Although many people feel that function is important, it’s not critical.People who work in the national parks system will get paid vacation, while those who had paid for a spot at Yellowstone National Park will have to be refunded their money (after the shutdown). Nobody is going to die if Yellowstone closes for 2 weeks.
Is it true that the government shutdown will delay my tax return until June or July?
Most assuredly so: all of the taxpayer’s correspondence, business and those taxpayers that file on a quarterly basis that are not being processed from the start of the shutdown will have priority before any new filings are processed. Currently, only tax documentation containing payments or revenue are being processed.In addition, none of the Seasonal or temporary employees the IRS relies on that work only during the tax season have been hired and notified to report for duty. New hire processing usually takes 3 to 4 weeks before identities are verified and background checks completed. The personnel problem will be exacerbated as many of those on no pay status or considered non essential will elect to resign to find jobs outside Federal service to feed their families.You might want to consider electronic filing , double and triple checking the accuracy of your return to mitigate processing time within the IRS system.
Should I wait to file my taxes until the government shutdown is over so I can receive my refund?
Since you have until April 17, 2019 to file your 2018 taxes, so go ahead and hold up filing your return until then. But be aware, after that date you'll owe late filing and maybe late payment penalties. Really, just file your taxes and wait for your refund. The sun will still rise every morning, the grass will continue to grow, and the wind will continue to blow. The world as we know it will not end.But, if you want to speed up the certainty of all this, call or write your Democrat Congress person and demand they stop playing politics with your refund, and our nation's security, by refusing to allow for the safe guarding of our border as President Trump is requesting. It really is that simple. Pelosi is playing cheap politics with our safety and our money. Tell her enough is enough!
Will the government shutdown in 2019, stop tax returns?
No, the IRS announced that it will begin accepting returns on Jan 28th and issuing refunds right away.