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check cashing places will usually cash tax refund checks with proper ID if you need the money immediately when it finally arrives. they charge a fee but sometimes its worth it to not wait for a bank to clear it
February 25th mail date here too and still nothing in my mailbox š” this is getting ridiculous
At least I'm not alone! Let me know if yours comes this week?
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will do! we're all in this hellish waiting game together lol
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I kno this sounds crazy but I literally couldn't get through at all for my identity verification. I tried for 3 weeks straight!!! Then I used this app called Claimyr and got a call back from the IRS in like an hour. It was the only way I could actually talk to someone. Without it I'd still be trying to get through probably lol.
Yep for real! It was a total game changer. The app basically waits on hold for you and then calls you when an agent is available. Talking to an agent got my refund released so fast after weeks of getting nowhere.
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Just tried it and got a callback in 40 minutes after trying for a WEEK on my own. Holy crap thank you for this recommendation!!!
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When I went through this last month i was freaking out cuz I initially failed the identity verification (they asked about a mortgage refinance amount from 2018 and I guessed wrong). Had to call back and verify a different way. If you don't have all your financial info handy, just politely ask the agent if there's another way to verify. They can usually ask different questions.
Has anyone noticed that these verification requirements have gotten way more intense in the last couple years? My friend filed exactly the same way as last year but got flagged for verification this time. Seems like they're flagging way more returns now.
Definitely! They've ramped up fraud prevention like crazy. I read that tax identity theft claims went up like 400% after all the pandemic relief stuff.
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My tax guy said they're flagging almost everyone who claims certain credits now, especially if the amounts are over a certain threshold. It's their way of making sure people aren't claiming stuff they shouldn't.
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Ok so here's my actual timeline from last year when I had to verify ID for state (North Carolina): - Filed Feb 10 - Got letter requesting verification March 15 - Sent docs March 20 - Called April 25 (couldn't get through) - Finally got through May 2 (used claimyr.com after wasting days trying to call) - Was told docs were received and being processed - Refund deposited May 12 So about 7.5 weeks total from sending docs to getting money.
This is super helpful, thank you! At least now I have a realistic timeline to expect.
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Call the Taxpayer Advocate Service! They're designed specifically to help with cases where you're experiencing financial hardship due to IRS delays. If you need this refund urgently, they may be able to expedite your case. Look up your local office online.
TAS won't take most refund delay cases right now unless you're about to be evicted or have utilities shut off. They're as overloaded as the rest of the IRS.
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Worth trying though. They helped me last year when I was in a similar situation even though I wasn't facing immediate eviction. Just had to explain that I needed the funds to pay for some medical expenses.
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This might be a good time to adjust your withholding so you're not giving the government an interest-free loan every year that they can hold hostage. I know this doesn't help with your current situation, but for future reference, try to get your withholding as close as possible to what you'll actually owe.
I get what you're saying, but I claim my kids and get earned income credit, so I'll always get a refund no matter what. Plus I kind of like the forced savings since I'm terrible at setting money aside otherwise.
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Fair enough! Just throwing it out there since many people don't realize they can adjust withholding. Hope your refund comes through soon!
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I filed my taxes in late February 2025 and was really counting on getting my refund. Today (April 8) I just got this CP05 notice from the IRS saying my return is being reviewed. The notice is dated March 3, 2025 and says "Your 2024 tax return is being reviewed" at the top. The notice states: "We review returns to determine whether income, income tax withholding, credits, or expenses are reported correctly." It goes on to say "We're reviewing your return to verify its accuracy. We understand your tax refund is important to you and we'll work to complete our review as quickly as possible." According to the notice, I don't need to do anything at this time since I did file a 2024 tax return. Once they finish their review, they may: - Send me my refund - Ask for additional information - Deny all or part of my refund (and if I disagree with the denial, I can appeal) The notice says it could take up to 60 days to complete their review. If I haven't received my refund or heard from them within 60 days, I should call them at 800-829-1040. But they specifically say "Please wait 60 days before contacting us since we won't be able to provide any additional information." They also mention I can check my refund status at IRS.gov/Refunds or the IRS2Go mobile app. There's a whole section about what to do if I DIDN'T file a 2024 tax return (which doesn't apply to me), talking about identity theft and Form 14039. The notice also mentions I can find more information at IRS.gov/CP05 and talks about an IRS Identity Protection PIN that can help prevent misuse of my taxpayer identification number. There's also information about the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) which apparently is "an independent organization within the IRS that helps taxpayers and protects taxpayers' rights." They provide free assistance and can be reached at TaxpayerAdvocate.IRS.gov or 877-777-4778. Has anyone else dealt with this CP05 notice? What happens during this review? Will I still get my refund? And is there anything I can do to speed up the process? I really need this money for some upcoming expenses, and waiting 60 days is going to cause me serious problems.
I had the exact same issue (CP05 notice) and it was driving me absolutely insane trying to decode what was going on from reading forums. I finally used taxr.ai which explained exactly what was happening, when I could expect movement, and what the most likely outcome would be based on my specific transcript codes. Takes like 2 minutes to get clarity instead of spending hours trying to piece together snippets from forums. Literally night and day difference.
just another paid ad... š
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Not an ad! I was just as skeptical as you are. But when you're desperate for your refund and the IRS won't tell you anything, you'll try anything. I'm just sharing what worked for me after weeks of frustration. Use it or don't, but it genuinely helped me understand what was happening with my return.
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One thing to keep in mind: if the IRS finds any issues during review, they'll send a specific notice telling you what they need or what adjustments they're making. Don't panic if they adjust your refund slightly - often it's just a math correction that doesn't impact you much.
you need to verify if the irs actually recieved your return. i had this issue last year and it turns out my tax preparer submitted it but it got rejected for some reason and they never told me. i didnt find out until april when i called. check with whoever prepared your taxes!
I prepared them myself with software, and got the acceptance confirmation. But maybe I should double check...
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Hey everyone- so I had almost the exact same issue a couple weeks ago. Like literally the same transcript situation. I used Claimyr to get through to an IRS agent (found them at claimyr.com) and the agent told me my return was flagged for manual review due to the education credits. Nothing I could do but wait, but at least I knew what was happening. My transcript finally updated last Friday and my refund hit my account yesterday. Sometimes you just need to talk to an actual human at the IRS to figure out what's happening.
Does Claimyr actually work? Sounds too good to be true
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100% works. They basically call the IRS and navigate the phone tree for you, then call you once they have an agent on the line. I'd tried calling myself over and over and got nowhere. With Claimyr I was talking to an actual IRS employee within 20 minutes. Completely worth it when you're desperate for answers.
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Santa Barbara TPG is the absolute WORST. They hold onto our money as long as possible evry year. There should be laws against this. They already charge fees to process our refund, then they make extra money by holding our funds and collecting interest. Criminal behavior if you ask me.
š This. They're basically double-dipping on fees. Next year I'm just paying my tax prep fee upfront and getting direct deposit from the IRS.
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Not sure if this is helpful but i looked up my info on the IRS website directly using taxr.ai and it showed my refund had an offset I didn't know about. That was why TPG was taking longer - they had to adjust the amount. Might not be your situation but worth checking if the delay continues.
What's an offset? Should I be worried about that?
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An offset is when the government takes part of your refund to pay a debt like student loans, back taxes, child support, etc. If you don't have any of those debts you're probably fine. For me it was an old student loan I forgot about š¤¦āāļø
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If you really need the money soon, call the Taxpayer Advocate Service directly (877-777-4778). They can help if you're experiencing financial hardship due to the delay. They have more power to push things through than regular IRS agents.
Definitely reach out to an actual IRS agent through Claimyr (claimyr.com) - saved me tons of time and frustration. Found out my employer had filed my W2 incorrectly which was causing the entire delay. Once I got that fixed, my refund was processed within a week. Talking to a real person made all the difference instead of just guessing what might be wrong.
This might sound dumb but can't you just walk into an IRS office?
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You technically can but you need an appointment and they're booked months in advance in most places. I tried that route first and the earliest appointment was 14 weeks out!
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Ugh I feel your pain. I've been trying the in-person option but can't get an appointment anywhere within 100 miles of me. All booked solid for months. The IRS is such a joke.
Lifehack: If you file a paper return instead of e-filing, you're much less likely to get flagged for identity verification. I haven't been asked to verify in 5 years since I switched to paper filing. Yes it takes longer initially but no verification hassles.
but paper returns take forever to process. last year it took like 4 months to get my refund when I filed by mail
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yeah but at least it's a predictable 3-4 months. with e-file and verification issues it can be anywhere from 3 weeks to never lol
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PrinceJoe
I had to go to the actual bank that issued the check (Huntington). Luckily there was one 20 minutes from my house. If you don't have one nearby, you might be out of luck unless you try a check cashing service.
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Paige Cantoni
No Huntington banks anywhere near me unfortunately š
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Brooklyn Knight
Has anyone tried calling Intuit directly? Maybe they can help? This seems like a massive faillure on their end.
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Owen Devar
Lol good luck getting through to Intuit customer service. You'll die of old age first.
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Daniel Rivera
I tried. They said it's not their problem and to contact the settlement administrator. Classic corporate runaround.
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