The IRS has opened the gates for the 2026 tax season, and the race for refunds is on. But in your haste to hit “submit,” you might be tripping over simple hurdles that will leave your money stuck in bureaucratic limbo. The IRS uses automated filters to screen returns, and any tiny discrepancy sends your file from the “fast lane” to the “manual review” pile. Once you are in manual review, you are looking at weeks, if not months, of waiting. Speed is the enemy of accuracy here, and taking ten extra minutes now can save you ten weeks of waiting later.
