Check your tax transcript for code 570! If you see that, it means there's a hold on your account. Mine was delayed for similar reasons and that's what was happening. You might also see code 971 which means they sent a notice (that you may not have received).

I went through something very similar last year - 8 month delay on what should have been a straightforward refund. The combination of approaches mentioned here is your best bet. Start with requesting your tax transcript online immediately. This will show you if there are any specific codes indicating why it's being held. If you see codes like 570, 971, or 424, at least you'll know there's an active review happening rather than your return just sitting in a pile somewhere. Then I'd recommend a two-pronged approach: contact both the Taxpayer Advocate Service AND your congressional representative's office. The TAS is great for systemic issues and they have more time to work on your case, while congressional offices have those direct IRS lines that can get faster answers. If those don't work within 2-3 weeks, the Claimyr service really does work for actually getting through to the IRS phone system. I was skeptical too but after months of busy signals, being able to talk to an actual agent made all the difference. Don't wait any longer - 9 months is well beyond any reasonable processing time and you have multiple legitimate avenues to escalate this. The key is being persistent and using multiple approaches simultaneously rather than trying one thing at a time.

Something nobody's mentioned yet: if your friend gambled at table games like blackjack or roulette rather than slots, the reporting requirements are different. For table games, casinos often don't report or withhold unless it's a REALLY big win. The reporting is way more strict for slot machines and lottery-type winnings. Just something to consider depending on what games they played.

Just to add some clarity on the reporting thresholds - casinos are required to issue Form W-2G and withhold taxes when slot machine or bingo winnings are $1,200 or more, poker tournament winnings exceed $5,000, or other gambling winnings are over $5,000 AND at least 300 times the wager. For your friend's situation with $5,000 wins at four different casinos, each individual win would likely trigger reporting and withholding if they were from slots. However, if these were from table games like blackjack where they gradually built up to $5,000, the casino might not have reported anything. The key thing to remember is that even if the casino doesn't report or withhold, the tourist is still legally required to report ALL gambling winnings on their tax return. The IRS expects honesty even when there's no paper trail. Given the amounts involved ($20,000 total), I'd definitely recommend your friend consult with a tax professional who understands international tax obligations.

Your best bet is to check your transcripts every Friday morning since youre cycle 01. Thats when updates usually hit. But honestly just use taxr.ai and save yourself the headache. It breaks everything down in plain english

Cycle codes can definitely be confusing at first! Just to add to what others have said - the 20250701 breaks down as: 2025 (tax year), 07 (week 7 of processing), 01 (Friday processing cycle). While it gives you an idea of timing, don't stress too much about it. Focus on looking for transaction codes like 150 (return filed) and eventually 846 (refund issued) with actual dates. Those are the ones that really matter for your refund timeline!

I'm a bit hesitant to share this, but my experience with this verification process wasn't great last year. I received the same notice, and I thought I could just wait it out... but it turned out they were verifying my dependents, and I ended up having to submit additional documentation after the initial review period. This extended my wait to almost 90 days total. I'm not saying this will happen to you, but if you're depending on this money for important expenses, you might want to have a backup plan just in case. The majority of people do get through the verification without issues though.

Going through the exact same thing right now! My transcript shows the 570 to 971 progression just like yours, and I got my notice three days ago. Reading through everyone's experiences here is actually really reassuring - seems like most people are getting their refunds well before the 60-day mark. I've been obsessively checking my transcript daily (probably not healthy, but here we are), and from what I've gathered, the key is watching for that 571 code to appear. That's when you know they've released the hold. The waiting is definitely the hardest part, especially when you're trying to budget around it. I've got student loan payments coming up, so I totally get the stress of not knowing exactly when the money will hit. But based on what everyone's shared, it sounds like 30-45 days is more realistic than the full 60 they mention in the notice. Hang in there - sounds like we're both in the same boat waiting for this verification to clear!

Be careful relying too heavily on cycle codes. Last year I had an 05 code and was told to expect an update that Friday. Nothing happened for three weeks, and when I finally got through to an IRS agent, they told me my return had been flagged for a random review which completely threw off the normal cycle timing. The cycle code is just one piece of the puzzle and doesn't account for other factors that might delay processing.

Based on my experience with cycle code 05, here's what you can realistically expect: Your return gets processed Thursday nights around midnight EST, and any updates typically show up on your transcript by Friday morning around 6 AM. However, don't set your expectations too high for immediate movement. I've seen 05 cycle codes take anywhere from 1-4 weeks to show actual progress, especially during peak season like now. The code just tells you WHEN your account gets looked at, not IF it will move forward. Since you filed jointly for the first time, there might be additional verification steps that could delay things regardless of your cycle code. My advice? Check Friday morning, but have a backup plan for your finances that doesn't depend on getting your refund this week.