UPDATE: The systems are functional again as of Thursday night.
“You should not worry that you will not receive your refund as the IRS has stated that this will not effect the time frame,” said Tammy Rogers of Liberty Tax Services.

(from Friday, Feb. 5 publication)
Several of the Internal Revenue Service’s tax processing systems are currently non-operational, following what a statement from the IRS called a “hardware failure” Wednesday afternoon. A number of taxpayer tools are inaccessible, including the e-file system, IRS acknowledgement and the “Where’s My Refund” feature.
However, in a statement the IRS assured that it is currently in the process of making repairs and working to restore normal operations. During this time, the statement said the IRS remains in close contact with e-file software transmitters as well as with the tax community.
Darlene Cook, owner of Liberty Tax Services in Elizabethton and Johnson City, said numerous clients have called concerned that their refunds will be nullified or displaced.
“I have had phones blowing up in all three locations with people asking if something is wrong,” said Cook. “Not one thing is wrong with their refunds. If it was, we would have called, but since they’re not able to check, this causes panic and anxiety.”
She said her staff is not able to access the site, and the effect is nationwide.
According to the IRS statement, taxpayers may continue preparing and filing taxes as they normally would and may send them to their e-file provider.
“These companies will hold the tax returns until the IRS resumes accepting electronic tax returns,” the statement read.
Cook said this is exactly what they are doing at Liberty: queueing their returns till they may properly submit them. She said the IRS informed her via email that they do not have an estimated time for having the issue corrected, but that they are working around the clock to resolve the issue.
Those that have already filed need not take any additional action, according to the IRS.
“At this time, the IRS does not anticipate major refund disruptions; we continue to expect that 9 out of 10 taxpayers will receive their refunds within 21 days,” said the statement.
Cook said nine out of 10 is the standard percentage within this time period because one out of 10 are pulled for review for various reasons.
She has been in the tax preparation business for 34 years, and said that while minor glitches have taken place in the past, they are usually resolved on the same day, causing little effect on the public or her clients.
“Even though these situations are concerning and challenging, we are staying apprised of the current situation with the IRS and updating our customers as information becomes available,” Cook assured.