IRS Experiencing Computer Failure Across ‘Several’ Systems

http://www.wsj.com/articles/irs-experiencing-computer-failure-across-several-systems-1454542333?mod=e2tw

“At this time, the IRS does not anticipate major refund disruptions,” a statement confirmed, though the exact cause or potential effects of the disruption were not revealed.
According to developing reports, the issues are expected to be resolved by sometime Thursday. While agency officials work to make sure all needed repairs are completed, individuals hoping to file during that period are encouraged to finalize their returns.
Some features of the official IRS site remain active, though the agency specified certain programs that remained offline as of the announcement.
“A number of taxpayer and tax practitioner tools are unavailable,” the agency advised. “IRS.gov remains available, although a number of the services on the site are not, including Where’s My Refund.”
Despite the system setback, the IRS is optimistic that it can maintain the pace it has set for itself. The agency is set to complete the refund process within three weeks for 9 out of 10 U.S. taxpayers.
Computer failures hit several U.S. Internal Revenue Service systems Wednesday in the midst of tax season, leaving the agency unable to accept some taxpayer returns.
The scope of the system issue was not immediately clear, but the IRS called it a “hardware failure.” The IRS has started repairs and expects that some systems may remain unavailable until Thursday.