You seem to have a good grasp on the process already, which is probably going to work in your favor. In my experience, which is admittedly somewhat limited, the system updates faster when you've successfully completed the verification in a single call. It's possible, though not guaranteed, that you might see movement in as little as 5-7 business days, especially if your return is otherwise straightforward. The IRS has been, in my observation, processing these verification cases more efficiently this filing season.

I went through identity verification just last week and can share what happened in my case. The agent told me it was specifically for Form 8962 (Premium Tax Credit) verification, and she mentioned my case would be prioritized since it was a "simple authentication" rather than a full identity theft case. My timeline so far: verified on Tuesday, transcript still shows the 570 hold as of yesterday (day 6). The agent said to expect 2-3 weeks, but based on what others are saying here, it sounds like it could be sooner. One thing that might help - when you call back to check status, ask them to confirm the specific type of verification you completed. There are apparently different processing queues depending on whether it's identity theft, Premium Tax Credit, Earned Income Credit, or just general authentication. Knowing which queue you're in can give you a better timeline estimate. Good luck with yours! The waiting is definitely the hardest part.

Alternative verification options to consider: • In-person verification at Taxpayer Assistance Centers (appointment required) • Phone verification via the dedicated Identity Verification hotline • Third-party in-person verification through certain tax professionals • Online verification through ID.me (fastest option) Each has different processing times. I've found the online method typically reduces overall processing by 7-10 days compared to other methods. Hope this helps with your analysis!

This is incredibly helpful data! I've been tracking my own verification timeline and can confirm the 15-day delivery window. Filed on February 28th, got flagged for verification on March 3rd, and received my CP01 letter on March 18th - exactly 15 days later. What I found interesting is that checking my transcript daily showed the 971 code appeared 2 days before I actually received the physical letter. For anyone waiting, I'd recommend checking your transcript on the IRS website regularly since it updates faster than mail delivery. Currently waiting for my verification to process after completing it online through ID.me last week.

I think I might have had some luck with the phone verification... I was really worried about delays since I need my refund for some unexpected medical bills. After seeing this discussion, I called instead of using the online system. The agent was able to verify me in one call, and I think it might have helped because my return was processed just 9 days later? Not sure if that's faster than normal, but it seemed quick compared to last year when I used the online method and waited almost a month.

Based on my experience working with multiple clients this tax season, I can confirm that phone verification is consistently faster than online verification. I've tracked processing times for 23 clients who went through verification - those who used phone verification averaged 8.5 days from verification completion to refund approval, while online verification clients averaged 19.3 days. The key advantage seems to be that phone agents can immediately update your account status in real-time, whereas the online system requires batch processing that only occurs during specific maintenance windows. One tip I've learned: if you call for phone verification, ask the agent to confirm they've made the verification notes directly in your account before ending the call. This ensures there's no delay between your call and the system update.

Has anyone used a specific tax software that handles stock options well? I tried TurboTax last year and it was a nightmare trying to correctly enter all my ISO info.

Great thread! I went through this exact situation last year when my startup granted me ISOs. One thing that really helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet to model different scenarios - what happens if the stock goes up 2x, 3x, stays flat, etc. The key insight for me was understanding that with ISOs, you're basically making a bet on the future stock price when you decide whether to exercise early or wait. If you exercise early when the spread is small, you minimize your AMT hit but you're putting cash at risk. If you wait, you might avoid the cash outlay but could face a much bigger tax bill later. I ended up doing a hybrid approach - exercising about 25% of my options each year as they vest, which keeps my AMT exposure manageable while still giving me upside if the company does well. The other benefit is it forces me to think about the decision regularly rather than just letting everything pile up until IPO. Also, don't forget to factor in state taxes if you're in a high-tax state like California - they can add significantly to your overall tax burden on stock option exercises.

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Filed in February, got the dreaded verification letter, completed ID.me verification online, then had to call and verify by phone too. It's now been 3 weeks since my phone verification and still nothing. The uncertainty is killing me - I keep refreshing WMR hoping for an update. Your comparison to crypto tracking is spot on - why can blockchain transactions be transparent but tax refunds are a complete black box? I'm trying to stay patient but when you see people getting their state refunds in under a week, it really highlights how broken the federal system feels.

I'm in week 4 post-verification and this thread is both reassuring and terrifying! What strikes me is how wildly different everyone's experience has been - from 11 days to 3+ months. I called last Friday and the agent told me my verification was "processed successfully" but my return is in "manual review" which could take "several more weeks." The lack of consistency in their answers is maddening. At least now I know from Paolo's comment that 9 weeks is actually the official timeline, not the 21 days they advertise everywhere. I'm going to try that early morning calling strategy Ava mentioned - maybe getting through at 6:58 AM will get me a more definitive answer about where I actually stand in their queue.