If you owed tax on 2019 your overpayment from 2020 should offset to the 2019 balance, but should be credited as of the due date of the 2020 return (04/15/2021). It won’t cancel out the 2019 interest and penalties but it will help. Sounds like you filed paper returns rather than filing electronically. It’s a national disgrace the IRS can’t process paper returns with anything approaching efficiency now.
Thanks for the insight! I'm not good with this type of stuff, and it wasn't until early this year that I hired a tax accountant to get this all straightened out. But, when dealing with the GOV. expect the worst and you'll only be disappointed most of the time.
My daughter filed 1040-X in June 2021 for a refund.
It took IRS exactly 12 months to send her the funds.
It was a simple 1040-X, she had simply forgotten to use her simple IRA contribution to reduce her tax due.