TAX YEAR 2020 WAS THE INITIAL YEAR FOR THE TAXPAYER. THE EXTENSION WAS ELECTRONICALLY FILED ON 5/11/21 AND THE BALANCE OF TAX DUE PAID. TAXPAYER ATTEMPTED TO ELECTRONICALLY FILE THE TAX RETURN ON 6/2/21, BUT WAS PREVENTED FROM DOING SO DUE TO AN ELECTRONIC FILING DIAGNOSTIC IN THE TAX SOFTWARE. THE RETURN WAS TIMELY FILED VIA CERTIFIED MAIL ON 6/2/21. INCLUDED WITH THE RETURN WAS FORM 8948, PREPARER EXPLANATION FOR NOT FILING ELECTRONICALLY, AS WELL AS DOCUMENTATION OF THE EFILE DIAGNOSTIC THAT PREVENTED ELECTRONIC FILING. THE TAXPAYER DID NOT RECEIVE ANY NOTIFICATION TO THEIR MAILING ADDRESS INDICATING THAT THE RETURN WAS UNABLE TO BE PROCESSED. TAXPAYER LEARNED OF THE UNPROCESSED RETURN WHEN THEY RECEIVED A NOTICE DATED 12/5/22 ADJUSTING THEIR OVERPAYMENT APPLIED FROM 2021 TO THE 2022 TAX YEAR. TAXPAYER CONTACTED THE IRS ON 1/19/23 TO DISCUSS THE NOTICE AND WAS ADVISED BY REVENUE AGENT #1003377087 THAT THE 2020 TAX RETURN WAS NEVER RECEIVED AND ANOTHER COPY SHOULD BE MAILED. A SECOND COPY WAS MAILED VIA CERTIFIED MAIL ON 1/20/23. TAXPAYER CALLED THE IRS ON 5/1/23 TO CHECK THAT STATUS AND WAS TOLD THAT THE 2020 TAX RETURN HAD STILL NOT BEEN RECEIVED. THE AGENT ALSO STATED THAT THE RETURN WAS REQUIRED TO BE ELECTRONICALLY FILED THEREFORE THE TAXPAYER SHOULD RECEIVE A LETTER WITHIN 90 DAYS OF THE RETURN BEING RECEIVED ADVISING THEM OF THE EFILE MANDATE. THE LETTER WOULD PROVIDE INFORMATION TO CONNECT WITH THE TAX LAW DEPARTMENT TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. THE TAXPAYER NEVER RECEIVED SUCH LETTER. TAXPAYER CALLED THE IRS AGAIN ON 11/6/23 AND WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE TAX LAW DEPARTMENT. AGENT #1003087063 ADVISED TAXPAYER THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE DUE TO THE EFILE MANDATE AND TO CHECK WITH THE TAX SOFTWARE VENDOR. THE TAXPAYER THEN REACHED OUT TO THE SOFTWARE PROVIDER AND LEARNED THAT THE SOFTWARE HAS NOW BEEN UPDATED TO ALLOW THE ELECTRONIC FILING OF FIRST YEAR RETURNS WITH THE ISSUE THAT ORIGINALLY PREVENTED ELECTRONIC FILING. DUE TO THE ABOVE FACTS, WE REQUEST THAT NO LATE FILING PENALTY BE ASSESSED DUE TO REASONABLE CAUSE. SYSTEM ISSUES IN THE TAX SOFTWARE DELAYED A TIMELY ELECTRONIC FILING. THE TAXPAYER DID SUBMIT A TIMELY PAPER FILED RETURN AND THE TAX DUE WAS PAID IN ON TIME. EVERY EFFORT WAS MADE TO GET THE RETURN PROCESSED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. TAXPAYER EXERCISED ALL ORDINARY CARE AND PRUDENCE, AND HAD REASONABLE CAUSE FOR THE LATE ELECTRONIC FILING OF THE TAX RETURN.