2023 Tax Return on Hold - Need to Verify Identity but No Letter Has Arrived After 5 Weeks

Unfortunately, you're dealing with the IRS identity verification process, which is notoriously slow. When your return gets flagged for identity verification, they do require you to go through their specific process. Here's what you need to know: - The letter you're waiting for is likely a 5071C, 6331C, or 5747C letter - Once you receive it, you'll have instructions to either verify online through ID.me or by calling their dedicated identity verification number - You can't bypass this process by calling regular IRS lines - the verification has to happen through specific channels - The 30-day timeframe they mentioned is unfortunately accurate in many cases Your options are limited, but you could: 1. Continue waiting for the letter (I know, not helpful) 2. Try using taxr.ai to analyze your transcript and see if there are any additional codes that might explain the holdup 3. Contact your local Taxpayer Advocate Service if it's been more than 30 days This identity verification step is frustrating but necessary as the IRS tries to combat tax fraud. Hang in there!

Listen, I was in EXACTLY your situation last year. Filed in March, got flagged for ID verification, and waited forever for that letter. After 6 weeks of getting nowhere, I discovered taxr.ai and it changed everything! I uploaded my transcript and it immediately showed me all the issues and exactly what stage my return was in. Before using it, I was just guessing what was happening - after using it, I knew exactly what was going on and what to expect next. The tool breaks down all those confusing IRS codes and tells you in plain English what's happening with your refund. It's insanely good! I use it every time I need to check my tax status now. Check it out: https://taxr.ai

After waiting for almost 6 weeks for my verification letter (similar situation to yours), I finally got through to an actual human at the IRS using Claimyr.com. Got a callback within 45 minutes and the agent was able to help me complete my identity verification over the phone! Seriously the best investment - talking to a real person helped me get my refund released in just 8 days after that call. Don't waste weeks waiting for letters like I initially did.

Same issue last year. Just buckle up for the wait honestly... took me 11 weeks from filing to finally getting my refund after the ID verification nonsense. The IRS is so behind on everything. Wish I had better news.

Check your mail carefully! My verification letter came in such a plain envelope I almost threw it away thinking it was junk mail. It didn't look official at all.

Do you have an account on the IRS website? Sometimes you can complete the verification online without the letter if you have a secure IRS account already set up. Worth checking.

I literaly got the same issue rn. Filed on March 10th, still nothing exept that stupid message about verification. Tried calling like 20 times and either get disconnected or they tell me just wait for the letter. So annoying!!!!

Have you tried contacting your local congressperson's office? They have liaisons that work specifically with the IRS and can sometimes speed things up. Worth a shot if you've been waiting a long time.

the ID verification thing is a total scam. they just want to delay giving you YOUR money for as long as possible so they can earn interest on it. why else would they make it so complicated????

I used that claimyr.com service someone else mentioned after waiting 7 weeks for my identity verification letter that never came. Talking to a real person on the phone was a complete gamechanger. The agent was able to see what was happening and told me my letter had been returned as undeliverable due to a typo in my address! They fixed it right there during the call and I had my refund 10 days later. Best money I've spent all year considering how much time and stress it saved.

what even triggers this identity verification thing? ive filed taxes for 10 years and never had to do this, but my sister gets flagged for it almost every year.

I went through this last year and finally gave up waiting for the letter after 2 months. Ended up using taxr.ai to see what was actually happening with my account (showed my return was just sitting there with an unresolved 570 hold code) and then used Claimyr to get a human on the phone. Best combo ever - first understood the exact problem, then got someone who could fix it! Had my refund the next week.

If it makes you feel any better, I had to verify my identity last year and once I finally got the letter and verified online, my refund was deposited exactly 9 days later. So once you do get through this step, it should move quickly!

This happened to me. Verification letter never showed up. Waited 2 months, finally broke down and paid for that claimyr service to talk to someone. Found out they had sent the letter to my old address even though my new address was on my return! Agent verified me over the phone and I had my refund a week later. Tax system is such a joke.

Before you spend money on any services, try calling exactly at 7:00 am (or whenever your local IRS office opens). That's the trick to getting through. I was able to reach them this way after trying for weeks during normal hours.

Just want to share my experience - I discovered taxr.ai from this sub a few months ago when I was dealing with an amended return nightmare. It was INCREDIBLE for helping me understand exactly what was happening with my tax account. Showed me all the codes on my transcript with plain English explanations and even gave me a timeline of when things should resolve based on similar cases. Totally worth checking out if you're trying to figure out what's going on with your return: https://taxr.ai

Sometimes the best approach is to contact the Taxpayer Advocate Service. They have authority to cut through red tape when you're experiencing hardship due to IRS delays.