How Long to Get My Tax Refund & Why Is It Taking So Long? IRS Updates and News

When it comes to tax season I receive a lot of reader questions, many tinged with a hint of desperation, around why IRS tax refunds are taking so long to be processed and what can be done to get their money sooner rather than later.

This was no different in the latest tax season where a number of folks have commented on the extended delays they are seeing with the processing of their tax returns and payment of long overdue refunds. Despite PATH limitations now having lifted, many filers are still stuck in IRS refund processing limbo.

In fact the IRS had already announced that there will likely be longer than usual tax refund payment delays due to processing/validation of past year and amended returns, staffing/budget constraints and the ongoing payment and reconciliation of past stimulus payments and tax credits.

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Those who filed paper based or amended returns, will likely face even longer delays in getting any refunds and will likely see the “Return Processing Has Been Delayed Beyond The Normal Timeframe” WMR message for extended periods and ongoing notices from the IRS around additional 60 day review periods.

For returns that require special handling or manual processing the IRS has said that due to staffing shortages it is taking up to 120 days to complete processing and notify taxpayers of adjustments or adjudications.

Reasons why your IRS refund may be delayed

  • Additional identity or random security checks – especially if fraudulent activities were associated with your filing in the past that means your return gets flagged for further reviews
  • Amended returns require additional, and manual processing, which can see refunds delayed for up to 20 weeks
  • Missing or incomplete documentation or information in your return. This is why you should e-file with leading tax software as most online tax filing software checks for this, which is why manually filed returns are more at risk
  • Incorrect bank details or account numbers provided in your return (see below for how to address)
  • If you are using a pre-paid card for the first time and were using a middleman bank (SBBT, Republic, Bofi, etc), some people have had their refund not deposited because the middleman bank does not test deposits to ensure the account is active and correct
  • Refund claims with an application for an individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) attached (see Topic 857 for more information on this)
  • Refund offset (Tax Topic 203) which reduces your payment due to other federal or state obligations. See section below for more on this.
  • If you requested a refund of tax withheld on a Form 1042-S (PDF) by filing a Form 1040NR (PDF), allow up to 6 months from the original due date of the 1040NR return or the date you actually filed the 1040NR, whichever is later, to receive any refund due (see more details in tax topic 152)
  • PATH act delays because you claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC). This constraint was/is normally lifted in mid-February,
  • Manual reviews or corrections are needed to the earned-income tax credit and the pandemic-related stimulus payments (refundable tax credits) claimed in your tax return. You will see this as code 570/971 on your tax transcript.

As always keeping checking the IRS’ Where is My Refund Apps (WMR and IRS2GO) for exact dates on your refund payment.

You can start checking on the status of your refund within 24 hours after the IRS receives your e-filed return or 4 weeks after you mail a paper return.

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The WMR apps displays your tax return processing through three stages: Return Received; Refund Approved; Refund Sent. You can see more on refunds and delayed payments in these videos covering this topic

So what can you do if your tax refund is taking much longer to get than expected?

There are two main categories that cause your tax refund processing to taking longer than expected. Either something is wrong with your tax return filing, e.g. missing information, additional identity fraud/verification, incorrect social security numbers etc; or income information from related sources (employer, ex-partner, IRS notices) do not add up.

For example same dependent claimed in multiple tax returns. So here are a few things you can do to try and figure out why your tax refund is so taking so long to get to you.

  • Check the IRS tax tool, where’s my refund (WMR) or IRS2Go mobile app, to get the official status of your refund (see estimated IRS refund schedule). It is updated daily (overnight) and provides the latest processing status of your tax refund.

    The IRS has announced that it expects to issue more than 90% of refunds to taxpayers in less than 21 days (not business days). So even if you have submitted all your documents you probably need to wait for at least 21 days before taking on more drastic actions.

    And if you paper filed, you may need to wait more than 6 weeks before hearing back from the IRS.

IRS bars offical - Where is My Refund (WMR) Return Received, Refund Approved and Refund Sent
Tax Status and Refund Delays
  • Why is my e-filed tax return in “Pending” status and the IRS has no record of my tax return? TurboTax experts say that after e-filing, your federal return may sit in “Pending” status 24-48 hours before its processing status changes.

    If you contact the IRS or try to look up your return or refund status on their site while your return is in “Pending” status, don’t be alarmed if they tell you they have no record of your return.

    This is normal; once the IRS acknowledges your return, they will update your status to via WMR to Return Received, Refund Approved and Refund Sent. See this article for more details on what the WMR refund status’ mean.

  • What do these IRS refund status’ mean? Return Received means the IRS has your tax return and is processing/reviewing it. Your estimated refund date will be available as soon as the IRS finishes processing your return and confirm that your refund has been approved. Generally it takes just a few days for the status to shift from Return Received to Refund Approved if all is in order.

    But any issues with processing your return will delay things and a refund date will not be provided until your refund has been approved.

    In some cases the refund tracker graphic (shown here) will not be shown if your return is being reviewed prior to step two: “Refund Approved,” and instead an explanation or instructions will be provided by the IRS depending on the situation.

    This can happen even if you previously checked Where’s My Refund? and it showed the status as “Return Received” along with the tracker. If the IRS needs more information specific to your return, they will contact you by mail (be aware of IRS imitation scams). You should follow the instructions in the IRS letter as soon as possible to prevent further delays with receiving your return.

  • Review your tax return and make sure there no obvious mistakes like missing names/SSN or forgetting to sign your tax return. According to the IRS, one of the main things causing people to experience delays in getting their refunds is returns that are not accurately completed. So to ensure you get your refund ensure your return is as accurate as possible.

    You can resubmit an amended tax return entering the changes and explaining why you need to amend your original tax return. You don’t have to redo your entire return, either. Just show the necessary changes and adjust your tax liability accordingly.

    You usually do not need to file an amended return because you forgot to include tax forms such as W-2s or 1099 forms. The IRS normally will send a separate request asking for those documents.

  • Get online help from various articles on people seeing delays with their refunds. On one of my articles covering the IRS refund schedule I got 6000+ comments, with the following useful real life tips you won’t find elsewhere:

  • If you claim certain credits like the Earned Income Credit or Education credits in your tax return, the IRS announced that refunds these returns generate may take longer (under PATH act). So expect your refund to take longer in this case – possibly into April, even if you filed early.

  • Hire an accountant or tax services firm to follow up this issue on your behalf particularly if you have a tax obligation to the IRS. But be warned, these are not the cheapest options and if you refund is less than $1,000 it may not be worth the cost.

  • Calling the IRS is an option, though getting through to someone is a challenge. You can go the IRS resources page to get the latest contact IRS numbers/locations. Here is a way to get a real IRS person:
    • Dial 800-829-1040 – if they say they have high volume calls hang up, you’re wasting your time, call again until it doesn’t say high volume.
    • Then dial 1- for English or 2 for Spanish.
    • Then listen to the options and dial 2 then 1 then 4, then 2 again, until it finally asks for your social… they will try to trick you after that, but don’t dial anything it will take you to an operator. it’s a process but you’ll get to someone as long as you DO NOT say you have questions about your refund, cause then it will tell you to go online. make sure your cell is charge when you call cause you can wait up till an hour. Good luck people, and hope we all get our refund. Heck, we worked for it!!! =)

  • Check with the middleman bank (SBBT, Republic, Bofi, etc) that they received your refund and sent it to your personal account. If filed jointly make sure both names are on your bank account/pre-paid card as this can sometimes cause your refund to be held or rejected.

2022 IRS tax season statistics

The National tax payer advocate services (TAS) released some interesting statistics that confirm the ongoing challenges the IRS is facing in processing returns and paying refunds on time. Especially for paper filed returns. As you can see from the official statistics below, lots of folks are impacting by IRS processing delays.

  • More than 90% of individual income taxpayers e-file their returns (recommended), yet last year, about 17 million taxpayers – about the population of New York – filed their returns on paper because of access or limitations with filing electronically. 
  • It took the IRS on average 251 days (or more than 8 months) to make and respond to proposed adjustments across 5 million affected returns. This is three times pre-pandemic levels.
  • Over 336,000 taxpayers could not file their returns or receive their refunds because identity thieves had already filed a return using their identifying information. It is taking the IRS over 1 year to resolve identity theft cases.
  • While the IRS had reduced the number of suspended returns (those that require manual IRS reviews) to 5.4 million from 15.8 million earlier in the year, it is still taking up to 10 months for manual reviews of paper filed returns.
  • During the 2022 filing season, the IRS received about 73 million telephone calls. However only one out of 10 calls reached a live IRS agent. This is half as much as the prior tax year, despite a lower overall volume. The time the average taxpayer spent waiting on hold rose from 20 minutes to 29 minutes this tax season.

IRS Operations Page

To get the latest update on IRS tax refund processing delays, you can see the IRS operations page which provides information on key functions and causes behind some of the delays when it comes to phone support, paper filed returns and ongoing reviews.

Tax Payer Identify Verification Delaying IRS Tax Refund Processing and Direct Deposit Payments

In a lot of recent cases, it appears that the IRS is delaying refund processing because they are having to spend a lot more time validating tax payer identities given the rise in online tax related fraud over the last few years. In most cases the IRS will notify selected tax filers via WMR or mail (they will never call you) to contact a IRS number to verify their identity. After verification it could take up to 9 weeks for you to get a refund. See more in this article.

Refund Offset – Why Your Refund May be less than expected

Another area of confusion for those expecting a refund is that when they get a refund it is actually less than the amount they were expecting or provided by their tax software provider.

The reason for this is that the federal government has “offset” or deducted monies from your tax refund to cover debts you owe other federal agencies. Under the law, federal payments such as tax refunds can be collected against by approved agencies (e.g the IRS) before being paid to you. 

You will get  a letter from the IRS explaining this offset to your federal refund and why it differs from what was estimated in your filed return. You will generally see a tax topic 203 message or code 898 on your transcript when you have an offset applied to your IRS refund.

They will give you an opportunity to dispute this collection, but you will have to prove you had no federal obligations. If you have questions regarding the offset of your refund you can call the Treasury Offset Program (TOP) on 800-304-3107.

When will I get my paper check if my Direct Deposit is delayed or rejected?

At times people will change their bank accounts after their return is filed or provide incorrect account numbers. In these instances the IRS will issue a paper check when they cannot send by direct deposit.

This will delay your refund, but the actually IRS processing time for a paper check  is only 2 extra days more than direct deposit.

Usually paper checks are mailed on Friday’s and you usually get within 1 week; the following Friday or sooner. The US Postal usually don’t deliver refund checks until Saturday morning to prevent someone watching your mail and stealing the check.

If I can order my IRS tax transcript does it mean I am getting my refund direct deposited soon?

This question used to come up a lot, but is not very relevant since you can request a tax transcript online via your IRS account. The transcript is free and does show processing tax codes related to progress and status of past and current tax returns.

That being said, there is a correlation in reviewing your transcript for current year IRS processing transaction codes. If you see transaction codes (like 846), it means the IRS is or has processed your tax return, and refund where applicable.

But the IRS is very clear that reviewing your transcript does not mean you will imminently be getting a refund and is among the common myths and misconceptions repeated in social media. They still say that checking the WMR website or IRS2Go app is the best and official way to check your refund status.

Tax Topic 151 vs 152 notice

When you log on to the WMR website or IRS2Go mobile app, you may be presented with a message to refer to IRS Tax topic 151 or 152 in relation to your refund. But what do these mean? Tax Topic 151 simply means that you’re getting a tax adjustment due to an offset or IRS proposed adjustment.

You will get an official IRS letter or notice explaining the actual offset and adjustments to your tax return, and details on how to appeal this action – but likely it will delay you getting your refund. While not great news, the silver lining here is that the IRS has processed your return and your adjusted refund (where applicable) should be on its way.

Tax Topic 152 on the other hand means means you’re getting a tax refund in line with IRS processing guidelines (generally within 21 days) and this notice confirm the methods for payment (direct deposit, check).

I know it can be really frustrating to see ongoing delays in getting your tax refund. My answer is be patient, look into the above steps and contact a tax advocate or tax professional if you get nowhere with the IRS.

WMR and IRS2GO Refund Status Error Codes

When you see an error on the WMR and IRS2Go tool you will get an error code and a short description. Sometimes these can tell you the cause (e.g 1161 –  Refund delayed, bankruptcy on account ).

But in many cases this provides no help and in that case you should reference the IRS Refund Error Code list to get more details. You can also see the comments below for more errors people are facing.

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735 thoughts on “How Long to Get My Tax Refund & Why Is It Taking So Long? IRS Updates and News”

  1. Filed feb2. Where’s my refund still says “still being processed” whats really going on? Im not sure how they expect people to be patient!! Im very annoyed with this IRS crap.

    Reply
    • Holy cow me too! I filed on Feb 16th and my boyfriend filed on Feb 1st and he got his back in a month but when I do the “where’s my refund” link I dont even have an expected date! It’s 5/6 already! I called and did all the button prompts (when they ask for your social you wait, then they ask if it’s a personal or business thing, say personal) and when I finally got there they said the call center was too full and to try again later ))); this is so frustrating!

      Reply
  2. Tomorrow marks 8 weeks of waiting…called to see what was going on they said it just got processed April 9 and that I’m gonna have to wait another 8 weeks :(

    Reply
  3. I filed my return on Jan 20th. It was received on Jan 21st. I got a letter saying I to provide birth certificates and social security cards on the boys. I faxed all the info they asked for. It took 6 more weeks to get a letter saying they received my paperwork and that they would make a decision by May 11. However if they didn’t make a decision by then I would receive another letter. This is unacceptable!!! The letter they sent me wanting more info stated I had to reply within 30 days. I guess they can make demands from me as a tax payer but they don’t have to follow the same time frame. When I check the “where’s my refund ” it just states it is being reviewed and if I have question then call the number . I have tried calling that number for a month now and it always tells me to call back at a later time because all agents are busy. This is unacceptable !! I’m beginning to wonder what our rights are as an American citizen. When you owe the irs money you are charged interest if it isn’t paid in a timely manner. Maybe if we started charging them interest for waiting on our refunds they would kick it in gear!!!

    Reply
    • Um going threw the same thing. I was promised a letter sent out on April 13th. Still haven’t gotten it. They say once I gt this letter I still have to wait for a letter telling me if all my info was correct n then after DAT I still wld have to wait until I get another letter sayn when I wld get my check n then it still wld b 45-60 days bfor I wld get it. I wldnt gt money until Aug. Sept seems like

      Reply
    • if you didn’t get that letter would you have known you were missing info? Like on a website or call? I’m worried I might have thrown away an important letter or something, cant think of a reason why I wouldn’t even have an expected tax refund date |:

      Reply
  4. Where is my refund ?
    It’s ridiculous that we are having to go though this,I paid all my bills so when I get my refund we
    Could go on vacation now this happen,This is what we do every year this is a shame,I bet you my refund that every employee at the IRS has their
    refund they just street us like sh–.
    Vacation is over.

    Reply
  5. Update on my comment back from back in March!
    *Recap: I filed back in February and my estimated refund date was March 6.

    I finally called someone last week and I waited for 30mins to speak with a live agent. They told me they was a very minor error in my refund they they needed to have corrected manually. That correction was made on March 26th. The agent told me they it would take an additionally 9 weeks for it to be processed and have the refund to me! I just checked my refund status and it looks likes it was processed and I hope to have it for this week!

    I hope this helps anyone at all!

    Reply
  6. My husband filed on March 12th he still haven’t received his refund. We finally got a letter about identity theft, called the number and got that straight. The irs said thats all they needed. Okay IRS where is my husbands money? It’s our money and we need it now!!!!!!!!

    Reply
  7. Still waiting…….dreadful 570 code since early feb….hopefully transcripts update this week! Better yet, hope i see a deposit!!

    Reply
  8. I filed 2-16-2015 and still go to where is my refund and it states still being processed what is the hold up? Wht is the problem? I need my money i have 3 kids i wanted to take a trip but cant cause i haven’t received my refund. Today is April 7, 2015 and its still processing

    Reply
  9. UPDATE: I finally got hold of an IRS agent. (on hold for 20 mins). Told me to call some # or go to a website to do some identity verification. But since I never received any notice from IRS, I decided to call the # he gave me. Another hold for 25 mins). Finally another agent. Very rude. Very strict phone call. All info are confidential. No one can help me answer to questions she asked. If someone helped me answer she said she will end conversation and send me to the office instead. So all along hubby and I are waiting for our refund for a month and a week. Agent said today our refund has finally been processed. She said expect it in 6 weeks. But the first guy I spoke to said “up to” 6 weeks.

    Reply
  10. I file my return on Jan.31 2015,I call irs when my 21 days was up and they said that I had to wait 8 weeks so my 8 weeks was up today,I call back today and the guy told me that he did a referral to count 6 more weeks starting today for my refund or a letter

    Reply
  11. I filed my taxes Feb 4 I already received my state return my my federal says still being processed …. I’m super confused …. can anyone point me in the right direction

    Reply
  12. So I’m still waiting on my refund as most of everyone else. . I filed the 30th of Jan and got accepted the 31st. I called and got a hold of a agent almost five weeks ago and they told me it may not be sent to me (by direct deposit to a net10 card) till 8 WEEKS from Feb 8th. They couldn’t tell me why it was eight weeks from tgat date but nevertheless, still waiting. . Thinking about calling them back, I was concerned that maybe I was being audited or someone stole my identity (No-one wants that tho, I promise). Anyone got any ideas or something to say that could offer some advice. . Other than being patient. . I’m running out of that. Any advice/info would be welcome. Thanks!

    Reply
  13. Filed my return Feb 5 and was accepted Feb 6. Was told I am going to have to wait until mid April for my return. Tomorrow will be 8 weeks, 1 day and ‘where’s my refund’ is still saying it’s processing…

    Reply
  14. E-filed 2/3rd refund was intercepted because my 2009 return was not filed. I quickly filed it on March 4 and have been waiting for my return. (Six weeks counting)
    Any ideas?

    Reply
  15. Hello all,

    I have the same issue most people on here seem to be having – delay in receiving my refund. My return was accepted (according to Turbo Tax) on February 15th. I have already received my state (KY) refund. My federal refund has continuously said “still processing” when I track. After a bunch of Google searching, I saw that a ton of people seem to be dealing with my same issue. I decided to just move on with my life instead of checking every single day. Today is day 39. I finally decided to call the IRS, to speak to a live person today, only to go through a million prompts to be told that there are too many people calling, so I should try some other day. Aka they won’t even put people on hold anymore. (I was expecting to be on hold and would have been more than happy to wait.)

    I guess my concern is that my return has been flagged for some reason (ID theft etc.), but I cannot seem to get through to anyone to find out. I get it. It looks like I’m just going to be waiting a while for my refund, which is frustrating. It is what it is, but does anyone have any suggestions to find out what the issue is on my return? Perhaps there is something I need to fix or re-send? I can’t get any information. I’m just tired of not learning something – even if it’s just some fed up IRS worker telling me “you have to wait 6 to 8 more weeks!!” Fine! I would just like to know.

    Reply
  16. Filed on jan. 26 and was accepted that day.

    At the 21 day mark the app stated my return was still being processed.

    Called the Irs and no information was released to me at that time other than my return was being reviewed and that after 6 to 8 weeks I could expect more information.

    Called mar 19 (still during the 6 to 8 week window) and was told I would have to wait till the period expired.

    Called March 24, spoke to a rep who said that because I added a dependent this year (my son was born) that I was flagged for identity theft and that a referral to the department who oversees id theft would be placed on my account and reviewed and that it could take up to an additional 6 weeks. But he noted in my records that I did indeed add a dependent this past year and that hopefully my case would be resolved soon. That no letter was issued to me to confirm my identity.

    Just thought I would share my little treck with the IRS this year… Will update when I find out more information hopefully when my refund is issued.

    Reply
      • Yikes. Have you by chance looked at your transcript at irs.gov? If they send a letter or whatever, it should be recorded there. Do please update when you get something! Thanks!

        Reply
        • No I was for some reason locked out of my account on IRS.gov and I was assured when I called that I wasn’t sent a letter.

          Mar 28:checked the app again. It actually today says my return has been accepted and that it should be posted on April 1… So I guess we will see if it happens… But I’m hopeful that it will happen.

        • I have the exact same problem only thing is that i filed from since January 15 and still no refund

        • Congrats! Please do let us know if it really happens..and that it’s not some agent’s idea of a bad April Fool’s joke. ;-)

      • 1800-829-0582 ext 652 is the number I dialed. Talked to someone after holding for about 20 mins

        I indeed got my refund direct deposited into my account this morning so no April fools joke!

        I hope everyone else’s problems get resolved as well

        Reply
        • Amen! Hopefully mine will come by next Wednesday!! But I can’t put a time table because I don’t have a date on the app yet! Congratulations though and thanks for your help.

        • That is really lucky you received yours. Tomorrow will be 80 days for me. I was told during one call that I would receive a letter in 2 weeks. After 2 weeks I called back and was told that it didn’t get sent and would take another 3 weeks to receive the letter. After another 3 weeks I finally got through to the Tax Advocates and she verified that no letter had still been sent. I’m waiting for her call back tomorrow. Where’s My Refund still shows “being processed”. I’m so frustrated.

        • Thanks D Warner, the # you posted came in handy, it has been 37 business days as of today since I’ve filed my taxes electronically. I am being told to allow eight weeks from the time I filled for it to processed. I will wait and see.

  17. We filed via efile last week of February but my accountant told me that IRS rejected it and he tried submitting it again March 4 up to now it is still showing waiting for IRS acknowledgement. Called IRS last week and was advised that it was rejected and taht we need to send a paper copy of the return and that will push the refund for another 6-8 weeks and if they need additional info they send us a letter. The person who answered the phone doesn’t seem to know what he’s talking about because he put put me on hold for research for 10-15 minutes giving me several reasons as to why it was rejected but he’s not quite sure that it’s the reason. Funny part is that we are set for direct deposit but got a check from the state last Saturday for a refund of $3.00. Does anyone knows if this is possible to get a refund by check even if set up for direct deposit? Now my accountant is mailing me the paper copy of the return and I will call IRS again this week just to double check if we really need to send the paper copy. This is he first time it happened to me and it’s just so frustrating!

    Reply
  18. Hello,

    Although, we filed later than most, March 3rd, we are also anxiously awaiting. Here are our answers to your suggestions:
    1) We have reviewed all Information – No Errors
    2) We have, when possible or necessary, filed using earned income
    3) We have been using the same accountant for years, and never had this happen
    4) Why would we call the IRS when they will tell us nothing more than your article has told us, “Absolutely Nothing Useful”, just stalling measures used to pacify and misdirect our attention

    “INTEREST EARNED” It is FAR more likely, that this administration is using one of their but infamous tricks. Knowing full well how the massive debt this administration has accrued, the IRS, with some White House coaxing, decided to “HOLD” these angry and impatient citizen’s money, in order to draw interest from their money, a simply ploy used by creditors all over this nation.

    Why would they do that? Because they can. Why wouldn’t they tell us this? Because they are not obligated to.

    Reply
      • +1 Same with us. No errors. Filed through our CPA – same for years. We have filed and paid our taxes on time for 35 & 45 years – this is getting intolerable. I think IRS is sandbagging returns with refunds, hoping for a riot so they get more funding for ACA (Obamacare). 12 billion to run that operation – and they have more and more computer tech than ever before – and service gets worse? Inexcusable.

        Reply
  19. Filed through Turbotax on February 2. Accepted Feb 2..
    Bars went missing a few days later and status said that my refund was still being processed and a date would be provided.
    Called IRS on Feb 27. Had to go through verifying my identity. Was told that it would take 6-8 weeks to process and be received.
    Called IRS on the 16th of March. Was told that refund was reviewed on March 11 and would take an additional 9 weeks.
    Checked WMR On March 19, status says that refund has been accepted and is now being reviewed.
    Checked WMR on March 21.. Refund is going to be direct deposited on March 25..

    Reply
    • Please let us know how it goes. If you do get it, yours would be the first delayed refund that I’ve heard came through! Good luck!!

      Reply
      • I filed with H & R Block online January 28. Accepted the next day. Every time I checked WMR it says ‘processing’. Has been processing for 5 weeks!
        Talked to someone at IRS today, they said it was still in review and to expect another 4 weeks before I get it. =(

        Reply
        • This is just nutty. Here we are, law abiding taxpayers getting the knuckle from the IRS. Imagine if we owed – they’d probably have our returns processed in a week. Please update and let the rest of us IRS sandbagging victims know if/when yours comes through!! Good luck!

  20. call irs to talk to a live agent call (800)829-1040
    press 1 then 2 2 again then press 4 and 1 that how u get through to talk to a live agent

    Reply
  21. I filed my return with my CPA on 2/9 via efile. They took the entire 21 days to process the return and another week to approve and allegedly mail me a check on 3/4. Right around that time I received Notice CP53 advising that my refund would be sent in a check rather direct deposit because of the amount of the refund. It’s 3/19 and I still have not received my refund check. My fear is that the check is lost in the mail. Has anyone had a similar situation?

    Reply
  22. Hey you guys if you have a facebook go on a page called we are family. Its a group of 2015 tax filers who haven’t received their return.. We answer questions and keep each other updated .most of us have gotten our return but we are still waiting with the others.

    Reply
  23. Helllo. This is my first year filing my taxes. I used TURBO TAX. However, I filed them at the end of JAN 28 its now, MAR 14 and I haven’t seen anything, but my state refund. This worries me. Does anyone know why this could be? I filed my daughter and that’s about it.

    Reply
  24. Hello. I have a question/comment. My tax return is quite different this year. I won a large sum of money in the lottery, over $100,000. I paid estimated tax at that time. I had no other income from last year (2014). I filed the necessary W2-G and my filing was at very low risk of audit. I filed 2/20, received my State on 3/7 (a Saturday, which was weird), but I still am receiving a “in processing” note on Where’s My Refund, for my Federal refund…no other information. I overpaid my estimated tax on the winnings by a large amount. Could it be possible since it’s been just over 21 days, that my return is receiving extra review? Would this be expected for a large refund? Anyone else have to deal with this?

    Reply
  25. Hi I also didn’t receive my fed refund and I did mines with h&r block on feb 2 and my boyfriend did his the same time and got his fed and state I just got my state and now I hear i have to wait untill 12 weeks is that true anyone knows what’s going on are they picking and chosen who to send refund too I never ever had this problem before what is taking so long

    Reply
  26. Just filed my taxes last Friday. If for whatever reason I don’t get it in the 14 days they said (1-2 weeks), I’ll let you know if they are still backtracked.

    Reply
  27. I filed and i just passed my 21 day mark so i called to check my Louisiana state refund and got Thu and i was told in my state return that my federal income gross we wrong i guess, but will that affect my federal return as wel? How much longer should i have to wait..

    Reply
  28. I am really confused why victims of identity theft have to suffer I filed on 1/25/15 I was excepted on1/27/15 call the IRS on 2 /27/15 was told because I used a replacement pin I had a holder on my account I was told the holder was listed a day b4 and I should get it soon it now my bars gone and it just say processing

    Reply
    • I’m a victim of identity theft as well,I filed 1/26/2015 I call dem on d 15 of February and dey said since I had identify theft it’s gn tk 6 to 8 weeks and d hold been lifted but it still gn b d hold 6 to 8 weeks I still hvnt received my refund and it still say processing

      Reply
      • jh
        I know the feeling about victim if identity. I try to file my tax with trubo tax and I just get kick back so on feb 13 ,2015 I went to to h&r block and file and today it april 5,2015 and still hitting here hoping on day that I see my money. what I have read on here look like lots of people just playing the waiting game and I know it getting old.

        Reply
    • I have the same thing happen to me except last year I dint use the pin and I got my return as I was suppose to . This yr I didn’t use it my return was accepted jan 25 and on March 17 I called the irs and they stated I needed to resubmit my return with my pin so I had hand r block do it and it still says processing on wmr I called my tax preparer and she shows its been accepted I’m a single mother of 7 I need my tax money it’s really ticking me off everyone gives you different answers

      Reply
  29. i have been waiting over 8 weeks and no answers on my fed refund cant talk to noone what are some of my options to find out whats going on?????????

    Reply
    • I filed electronically on the 2nd of February and called 2 days in row – First day spoke to a women who was investigating and we got disconnected! so I took the challenge and called he next day and got thru – I was told that there was some financial issue going on and that from the 28th of Feb – I had to wait 6-8 weeks to get a refund. so if its truly 8 weeks that will be the end of April or first week of May. What is frustrating is that I was not notified – they could have sent a email if postage is too expensive.

      Reply
  30. I filed on the 12 of FEB 2015. I have used the tool of where is my refund at the IRS website and guess what; “I must have made an error” and there is no trace of my record. I had an accountant do my taxes and they state what the IRS states; wait 21 days. Well, guess what, I am almost 30days and the IRS has no record that it was even filed. Why is it so ineffective? If it takes three months tell us its three months, don’t say 21 days and nothing. As far as I know, the IRS sets deadlines for filing; that favor should be returned.

    Reply
  31. I filed for my taxes on 1/31/2015 and I have not received my state refund, I check online and it has been saying. “We received your refund but have not yet approved a refund for you yet” I dont understand what is going on. Does anyone know why there is a delay. I personally know 7 people how filed same or after me and have already received fhere nj state refund back but I have not.

    Reply
      • Ive been waiting on nj state refund I’ve received my irs refund over two weeks ago n still no state refund no errors.wth anyone know anything ? Any number to call that i can actually get threw.

        Reply
  32. I filed on Feb 2. It still says that my refund is being processed and it’s March 3. I cannot call the IRS as they are not taking live calls and I have no idea of something was done incorrectly. What should I do?

    Reply
    • Call the number 1-800-829-0582, the extension is 652, you will talk to a live person as long as you are patient and willing to hold up to 30 minutes. They will tell you exactly what is going on.

      Reply
  33. its been over 30 days now and I have not received my refund yet. my name is
    Linda B. Nettles
    XXXXXX
    XXXXXX
    Head of house hold
    3,434.00 is the amount. I need to know what is going on

    Reply
  34. As of tomorrow, we will have waited for a month. No change in online status. So I tried calling the IRS, they are not longer taking live phone calls. You can use their automated phone system or go online to get questions answered.

    Reply
    • You can talk to a live rep I had to call tax advocators first and they transfer me to a live person. U must be adiment about speaking to a live person also. I finaly contacted a irs rep who told me that I would just have to wait 6 more weeks I filed febuary 13th and I still don’t have a federal return I did get my stat and that’s all that they could tell me that I would just have to wait. This is the first time that I did my own taxes with Turbo Tax and the first time that I have had a problem next time I’ll just go to my regular preparer. Trying to get away from fees costed me precious time. SMH… either way I’m losing

      Reply
      • Filed 2/7 and was told it could take another 45 days. “From February 7 or today? ” I asked on 3/11. The lady said 45 days from 3/11! What? It sounded like she was making stuff up. Is there no way to speak to anyone who knows what’s going on?

        Reply
      • How do I contact a tax advocate? I am a victim of identity theft on this years tax return and I need some answers and help moving this along. It’s crazy how you are treated by the irs employees after you wait on hold for 45 minutes just to be told nothing and get attitude from the other end of the phone.thanks in advance.

        Reply
    • All I can tell you is go to the Voting Booths and Vote next Sept For Presidential Candidate Ted Cruz…He will shut down them MF doors forever during his term , he is a good Christian Conservative like his dad…. Somebody has to do something about these thieves, they will threaten you to no avail but when you are collecting its almost impossible to get any answers and little recourse except take to court which is a lengthy process… VOTE TED CRUZ for President. Check his website at tedcruise.org

      Reply
    • All I can tell you is go to the Voting Booths and Vote next Sept For Presidential Candidate Ted Cruz…He will shut down them MF doors as promised during his term ….. Somebody has to do something about these thieves, they will threaten you to no avail but when you are collecting its almost impossible to get any answers to or on the phone and little recourse except take to court which is a lengthy process… VOTE TED CRUZ for President. Check his website at tedcruise.org

      Reply
  35. I sent my Illinois state taxes in the mail Feb 18th,2013. And i still have not go it back yet. I filed my Wi state taxes a day before the dead line. And received it back with in 4 week. So why is it taking so long to get my Illinos state taxes back?

    Reply
  36. I had filed my taxes on Feb 2,2013 the due date of receiving the refund was Feb 19… and had not recieved a letter so I decided to call the IRS, they need it copy of all the paperwork, so I did sent all the info. While on the phone they told me it might take any where from 6-8 weeks because they never received the electronic paperwork that HR block did. LOL but now I got a letter from HR asking me to pay ($300) for my filling when it was suppose to get out of my taxes. BUt now next yr I’ll call the IRS and they are willing to give me a phone number of PP that work for them and they will help me for FREE… NO MORE HR BLOCK, Im paying you tomorrow and good luck with the rest of your customers. :}

    Reply
    • .In a statement issued Wednesday, HR block said it is giving customers a $25 gift card that is meant to “account for any processing delay and express thanks for their patience.”

      H&R Block said more than 90% of clients affected by the filing glitch by now should have either received their refunds or been told when to expect the check. In mid-March, the Internal Revenue Service said roughly 660,000 tax returns were being delayed by up to six weeks because a field on Form 8863, which is used for educational credits, was left blank.

      Wow $25! Do I have to pay tax on that?

      Reply
      • Thanks Andy!! But $25 is nutting compare to $300 that they charged me. Giving you guys an update I file my taxes on Feb 2 and today is May 30 and nutting yet. Not even a letter in the mail. This is ridiculous. When I called the IRS they all gave me different information One person even told me that e-file taxes was deleted while was getting process!!! OMG IRS is good to collect the money! I hope i get enough interest

        Reply
  37. 8 weeks now and no refund,got a letter saying they needed a copy of form 8863 education credit,called them and was told they already have that form and dont know why letter was sent and to send a copy anyway but can take another 8 weeks,what the heck is this asking for forms they lready hve to delay paying us our refund.Tazes were professionaly prepaired and thier making false claims for forms they have.

    Reply
  38. It was just reported that H&R Block improperly filed Form 8863, used to claim educational credits, leaving a mandatory field blank. The snafu is impacting about 10% of the 6.6 million tax returns containing Form 8863. So if your refund is taking a while and you used 8863 along with H&R block, get ready for a long wait.

    Reply
    • Ughh!! Thank you for that information! I filed on Jan 28th through H&R block! It is March 15th! I had an educational credit for my child. I always get in within two weeks and have had and educational credit the past three years. I have called H&R twice and they say they do not know why. I suppose why would they admit it is their fault. Makes me feel a little better. Thank you again.

      Reply
  39. I was able to track down my refund after it was 40 days overdue. The IRS site has some actual information (though finding it took luck and a lot of google searches) which may help to get infomration. Not know is the most frustrating thing, so I hope this helps other people.

    1.) You may call the Refund Hotline at 800-829-1954. Where’s My Refund? includes information for the most recent return filed in the current year and does not include information about amended returns. So calling can get you more information than is available online

    2.) Processing refunds/returns may take longer under certain circumstances. Refunds from amended returns will generally be issued within 12 weeks. Injured spouse claims can take longer depending on the circumstances

    – See Topic 303, for the most common errors such as :
    1.Incorrect or missing social security numbers.
    2.Incorrect tax entered based on taxable income and filing status.
    3.Computation errors in figuring the taxable income, withholding and estimated tax payments, Earned Income Credit, Standard Deduction for age 65 or over or blind, the taxable amount of social security benefits, and child and dependent care credit. Also, missing or incorrect identification numbers for child care providers.
    4.Withholding and estimated tax payments entered on the wrong line.
    5.Math errors, both addition and subtraction.

    Reply
  40. 42 days for us and according to the IRS they are still processing it. What angers me is that people who work just enough to get EIC have already recieved theirs. I have used H&R block for years, but since they are beating around the bush with us I think this will be our last year. H&R block fees…bank fees….what a waste of maney when you can`t get your refund.

    Reply
    • Over 50 days for me!, not easy when your wife and you work paycheck to paycheck, supporting kids on a very tight budget and anxiously wait for your refund for a yearly relieve!. I also want to add that we had filed taxes with H&R block for 6 years straight, this year been the last time!

      Reply
  41. The reason it is taking so long for some folks is due to the surge in identity theft. The IRS is taking longer to process/review returns which is yielding success in reducing identity theft but also has a side effect: delayed tax refunds for many legitimate filers.

    The IRS says it has strengthened the electronic system used to screen returns for potentially fraudulent refund claims by thieves who often use other people’s Social Security numbers or other identifying information. When the computer detects reason to suspect fraud, it refers a tax return for investigation, holding up the refund for weeks. IRS officials say they have cleared a backlog of returns that were held up early this year by computer glitches that have since been fixed.

    Reply
  42. Do you think the sequester is affecting irs processing? Took me 28 days to get my refund and
    I only had wage income and no dependents.

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  43. Yet another reason to adjust your W-4 correctly so that you do not have to worry about a refund at all. It’s better to get the money straight from your employer, rather than filtering it through the government.

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  44. There’s a lot of tax related id theft going on these days. A crook who’s gained access to your SSN files your return before you do and collects a fat refund. When you file your legitimate return, the IRS is confused. I hope that’s not what’s holding up your reader’s refunds, but it’s possible.

    Reply

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