I'm wondering, has anyone here had experience with international student status complicating this process? I think that might possibly add another layer of verification, especially with gambling winnings that might be subject to different withholding rates?

Based on the current processing timeline, I'd recommend your friend submit the requested documents by April 30th at the latest. If they do that, they could potentially see a new DDD by June 15th. Another option is to check if they can upload the documents through the IRS online account portal rather than mailing them - as of March 1st, 2024, the IRS expanded their digital document submission options for certain verification requests.

Based on Internal Revenue Manual procedures, you should immediately submit a Form 4506-T to request your Wage and Income Transcript for Tax Year 2023. This will show exactly what 1099-R information the IRS has received from all payers. The discrepancy is likely occurring in the Information Returns Processing System (IRPS) where third-party reporting is matched against filed returns. If your 401k administrator confirms they've submitted everything correctly, request a formal verification letter from them with specific filing dates and transaction IDs. This situation sounds like a classic case of mismatched TIN (Taxpayer Identification Number) reporting rather than actual fraud determination.

Had this happen to me. Exact same situation. 401k distribution. IRS claimed fraud. Took three months to resolve. Got documentation from Fidelity. Sent certified mail to IRS. Called every week. Used ID verification service. Finally reached someone helpful. They found the reporting error. Fixed it within the system. Released my refund with interest. Don't give up. Document everything. Get manager's names. Record call dates. Keep copies of all correspondence. This is a known issue with retirement distributions.

I'm not convinced this is as serious as others are making it out to be. It's like having the right amount of groceries in your cart but the cashier scanned the barcode for apples when you actually bought oranges. The total is right, so why would the IRS care? They got their money. I've had minor discrepancies before and never heard a peep from them.

Actually, the IRS absolutely does care about correct employer attribution! 😂 Their matching system isn't just checking total income - it's verifying each specific W-2 against what employers reported. Think of it like your credit report - having the right total but wrong accounts would still be a problem. The good news is that since the total income is correct, this is a relatively simple amendment. Your preparer should file Form 1040-X showing the correct employer for each income amount. Since this doesn't change your tax liability, it's more of an administrative correction than a substantive one.

TBH this is one of those tax situations that's simpler than ppl make it out to be. Her SSDI = her income, not yours. You never report it on your 1040. The only Q's that matter: 1) Did she have <$4700 in NON-SSDI income? 2) Did you provide >50% of her total support? If yes to both, you're GTG. The support calc does include her SSDI $ if she uses it for her own support. E.g., if total support = $30k, and her SSDI = $14k that she uses for herself, you need to provide $16k+ to hit the >50% threshold.

Just to make sure we're all on the same page here - are we talking about claiming her as a qualifying relative dependent, not a qualifying child dependent? Because the rules are different for each, right? For a qualifying relative, her gross income must be less than $4,700 (for 2023), but Social Security benefits generally don't count toward this amount unless she has significant other income. Did I understand your situation correctly?

I work in healthcare billing and see this issue every year with patients. The IRS prioritizes returns with refundable credits first, pushing simple returns to the back of the line. If you need funds for medical expenses, call your provider's billing department directly. Most have payment plans or hardship programs. Don't wait on the IRS. They can often reduce your required payment while you wait for your refund. Many hospitals have financial assistance even for those with insurance.

Back in 2022, I had a similar experience where my early filing seemed to put me in a weird holding pattern. What eventually worked for me was checking my transcript around 3-4am on Wednesday mornings - that's when my transcript finally updated after weeks of nothing. The IRS seems to do a lot of their batch processing overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, at least that was my experience. Have others found this to be true as well?

You need to contact the Treasury Offset Program directly at 1-800-304-3107. They can tell you exactly how much will be offset and when. Based on the 2024 processing guidelines, state tax offsets typically work as follows: 1) IRS processes your return and approves refund, 2) Before issuing payment, they check the TOP database, 3) If match found, they send exact amount owed to the state, 4) Remaining balance is sent to you within 7-21 days. The 180-day hold period the DOR representative mentioned is completely inaccurate. I've handled exactly 47 offset cases this tax season alone, and not one had a hold beyond the standard processing time.

OMG I went thru this exact thing last month! DOR took what I owed them (about 1/3 of my refund) but the rest came to my bank acct like 10 days later. No 180 day hold or anything crazy like that. Def call the offset # to double check everything. BTW if ur desperate for the car repair $ maybe check if ur mechanic offers any payment plans? That's what saved me when I was waiting!

This situation is far more common than most people realize. Compared to other tax issues I've seen, W-2 verification holds actually move relatively quickly once addressed. In one case I observed, a client's former employer went bankrupt and never filed W-2s with SSA - their return was processed in 74 days versus the quoted 120. Another client with a functioning but non-compliant employer saw resolution in 62 days. The key difference? In both cases where resolution came faster, the taxpayer had comprehensive documentation of their earnings (final paystub, offer letter, direct deposit records) that matched their W-2 exactly. Time is critical here - each week of delay pushes you further back in the verification queue.

Got through this exact situation. Filed February 3rd. Return stuck for verification. Former employer never sent W-2 info to SSA. Called IRS April 12th. Submitted Form 4852 with final paystub. Refund received May 9th. Total 95 days. Worth the wait.

I waited patiently for 10 weeks last year only to discover my return had been flagged for identity verification, but they never sent me the letter! Have you checked if you need to complete an identity verification? Would you know if there were any discrepancies that might trigger a review? Did you receive an acceptance confirmation when you first submitted through TurboTax?

I called 267-941-1000 last week for the same issue. Got through in 25 minutes. Agent told me my return was in ERS - Error Resolution System. Had a math error they fixed automatically. Refund released three days later. Try early morning calls. Avoid Mondays. Be polite. They can see more details than the website shows.

Have you checked if the letter has a specific deadline for verification? I had a similar issue on February 23rd when the system went down, but my letter stated I had until April 15th to complete the verification. The system came back online for me on February 26th. Also, which specific verification letter did you receive? There are actually three different types (5071C, 5747C, and 6331C), and each one has slightly different verification procedures. The letter number should be in the top right corner.

This might be somewhat helpful - the IRS actually announced system maintenance for their ID verification portal this week. It's possibly, though not definitely, related to what you're experiencing. Also, there's a separate verification phone line that's different from the main IRS number. It's generally less busy and specifically for ID verification issues. The number should be on your letter, usually at the bottom. If all else fails, you may need to verify by mail, which is frustrating but sometimes the only option when their systems are down. Just be aware that mail verification can add approximately 6-8 weeks to your refund timeline.

I've seen this question come up frequently over the past three filing seasons. Back in 2022, nearly everyone had to call after online verification. In 2023, they improved the system so only about 30% needed to call. This year, I've observed that fewer than 15% of filers need that secondary verification call. I'm curious - did you receive any specific message after completing the online portion? Sometimes there's a subtle indicator that additional verification is needed.

I verified online only on February 14th and got my refund March 8th. No phone call needed! The IRS system actually works sometimes... I know, shocking revelation, right? 😂 Just make sure you completed ALL the steps in the online verification - there are several screens and it's easy to think you're done when you're not. The final confirmation page should explicitly state whether your verification is complete or if additional steps are needed.