IRS is holding millions of tax returns, delaying refunds By Aimee Picchi Millions of tax refunds delayed The IRS is holding 29 million tax returns for manual processing, delaying tax refunds for many Americans, according to the National Taxpayer Advocate, an independent arm of the tax agency that looks out for consumers' interest. The delays are prompting some taxpayers to fret over social media about spending weeks waiting in limbo for their money. Typically, the IRS sends most refunds within three weeks of taxpayers filing their return. But this year is complicated by several issues, including a backlog of 2019 paper tax returns that the IRS was unable to process after shuttering its offices during the coronavirus pandemic.