Last resort option that worked for me: contact your congressional representative's office. Seriously. I was having a major issue that needed resolution and couldn't get through to anyone at the IRS for months. Called my congressman's office, explained the situation, and they have staff dedicated to helping constituents with federal agency issues. They contacted the IRS on my behalf and I had my issue resolved within 2 weeks. They have special channels to cut through the red tape when regular citizens can't get through.

I've been dealing with IRS phone hell myself lately, so I feel your pain! Here's what finally worked for me after weeks of frustration: Try calling the Practitioner Priority Service line at 866-860-4259. Even though it's technically for tax professionals, I've heard from others that if you explain you've been trying to reach someone for weeks about a processing delay, they'll sometimes transfer you to the right department instead of hanging up. Also, if your refund is over 21 days late and causing financial hardship, you can file Form 911 (Application for Taxpayer Assistance Order) with the Taxpayer Advocate Service. This puts your case in a priority queue and assigns you a case advocate who will actually follow up with you. One more thing - I noticed you mentioned your refund shows as "still processing" since February. That's a really long time, so there might be something more serious going on than a simple delay. Document every call attempt you make (date, time, how long you waited) because if you do eventually get through or file a complaint, having that record helps show you've made a good faith effort to resolve it through normal channels. Hope this helps and you get your $4,700 soon!

Filed jan 29th still processing... meanwhile my neighbor filed last week and already got hers back wtf 🤡

Filed mine on Jan 24th and just got my refund deposited this morning! So there's definitely hope - seems like they're working through them in batches. The processing time varies a lot but most people I know who filed in late January are starting to see theirs come through now.

I went through almost exactly your situation in 2023. Filed in January, needed refund urgently, contacted TAS on March 12th, and didn't hear back until April 27th - exactly 46 days later. When they finally reached out, my case was resolved in precisely 3 days. The frustrating reality is that TAS is handling 500% more cases than they were designed for. One thing I learned: document EVERYTHING. Note every call time, representative name, reference number, and promised follow-up date. In my case, having this detailed record of my 14 previous contact attempts actually helped expedite things once I finally got through. If you're facing eviction in 7 days, I'd recommend physically going to your local Taxpayer Assistance Center - they can sometimes intervene in true emergency situations.

I'm so sorry you're going through this - the stress of potentially losing housing with 5 kids while dealing with IRS delays must be overwhelming. From what I've learned lurking in this community, TAS is severely backlogged right now, but there are a few things you might try immediately: 1. **Emergency hardship designation**: Since you're facing imminent eviction, call TAS and specifically use the phrase "emergency hardship case" - this should trigger faster processing according to their own guidelines. 2. **Local Taxpayer Assistance Center**: As Lucy mentioned, showing up in person with documentation of your eviction notice might get you faster help than phone calls. 3. **Multiple congressional offices**: Don't just contact your representative - try both senators too. Sometimes one office is more responsive than others. 4. **Document everything**: Keep a detailed log of every interaction, including times you were hung up on. This creates a paper trail that can be useful for escalation. The system is clearly broken when families are at risk of homelessness while waiting for their own tax money. You shouldn't have to choose between paying for third-party services and keeping a roof over your kids' heads. Have you been able to get any written confirmation from TAS about your case status or timeline?

I'm a little confused about who actually needs to report these benefits for tax purposes. Aren't SSA survivor benefits to a child not taxable to the child? I thought they were only potentially taxable if the child's other income plus half the benefits exceed the filing threshold?

This is a really complex situation, and I appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and solutions. As someone who works with families dealing with SSA benefits, I wanted to add a few practical points: First, the advice about only reporting what you actually received is correct. The IRS Publication 915 specifically addresses this type of situation where the SSA-1099 doesn't match who actually received payments during the year. One thing I'd suggest is documenting the exact dates when custody changed and when SSA was notified. This creates a clear paper trail. Also, keep records of any communications with SSA about the payee change - this can be helpful if questions arise later. For the written explanation, be very specific: include your son's name and SSN, the total amount on the 1099, the exact months and amounts you received vs. what your sister received, and the date custody officially changed. Both parties should reference the same details in their explanations to avoid any inconsistencies. Finally, if your son doesn't have other significant income, he likely won't owe any tax on these benefits anyway. But getting the reporting right is still important for your records and to avoid future IRS notices.

ngl i miss santa barbara tpg their website was way better at tracking stuff

Just filed with TurboTax last week and can confirm it's First Century Bank now. The transition was pretty smooth but you're right that their tracking interface isn't as user-friendly as TPG was. One thing I noticed is the account numbers are longer now and the deposit notifications come through differently. Make sure to update any auto-save info you might have from previous years since the routing numbers changed too.