I filed an extended return last year and it took FOREVER. Mailed it in early May and didn't get my refund until mid-August. Over 14 weeks! When I finally got through to someone at the IRS, they said my return had been in a backlog of paper returns that were processed in the order received.

I'm in a similar boat - filed my extended return by mail in early May and still waiting. Reading through everyone's experiences here, it sounds like 6-8 weeks is pretty standard, but some people are waiting much longer. @Anastasia - since you filed around May 1st and it's been a few weeks, you're probably looking at getting your refund sometime in late June or early July if everything goes smoothly. The $3,800 is substantial enough that they might take extra time to review it, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. One thing I learned from this thread is that calling the IRS might be worth it just to make sure there aren't any issues holding up your return. Even if it doesn't speed things up, at least you'd know if there's something you need to address. Those services like Claimyr that people mentioned might actually be worth trying if you're getting anxious about it. Keep checking "Where's My Refund" every week or so - once your return shows up in their system, you'll at least know it's being processed rather than lost in the mail.

I had the exact same thing happen with my transcripts last year. Filed on January 22nd, star appeared on January 26th, and full transcript was available on February 3rd. My refund came exactly 5 days after the transcript appeared. Do you have any complicated deductions as a contractor? Home office? Vehicle expenses? Those can sometimes trigger additional review that extends the timeline.

Thanks for sharing your timeline, Luca! As someone who's been through this process multiple times as a contractor, the star is definitely a good sign that your return is moving through the system. Based on your filing date of January 21st, you're right on track - most contractor returns with Schedule C take 2-3 weeks from filing to transcript availability. The star typically appears 3-7 days after filing, so you're in the normal window. One thing I've learned is to check your transcript early in the morning (around 6 AM EST) since that's when the IRS usually updates their systems. Given that you filed just over two weeks ago, I'd expect your full transcript to populate within the next 5-7 days if there are no issues. Keep an eye on both your transcript AND Where's My Refund - sometimes one updates before the other!

idk man the IRS is straight up ghosting us at this point

Thank you for posting this! I was literally about to call the IRS hotline again after seeing that message for the 3rd week straight. It's reassuring to know that "still being processed" is just their standard way of saying "we're working on it" rather than code for "something's wrong." Definitely saving me some stress and phone time 🙏

I had the same issue and TurboTax customer service gave me the wrong advice! They told me to file with my new married name, which caused my return to get rejected twice. Is there a specific tax software that handles name changes better than others?

I went through this exact situation last year! The key thing to remember is that your name change with SSA isn't official until you receive your new Social Security card - just submitting the application online doesn't update their systems immediately. You should definitely refile your return using your maiden name (whatever name is currently on your Social Security card). Since your return was rejected, this won't count as an amended return - you're just correcting the initial filing. Don't worry about the deadline - you have time to get this sorted out. The important thing is to use the name that matches what's in the Social Security Administration's current records. Once your name change is processed and you get your new card, future tax years will use your married name automatically. I know it's frustrating being in this limbo period, but it's actually a pretty common issue for newlyweds. Just stick with your maiden name for this year's taxes and you should be good to go!

According to the IRS website (https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript), the different transcript types update on different schedules. The Account Transcript is typically the most up-to-date and accurate reflection of your return status. If that shows your return was filed, you should be good. The Wage & Income Transcript can lag behind by several weeks during busy filing seasons.

I experienced this exact same issue last year! It's actually pretty normal - the IRS has multiple database systems that don't sync up in real time. Your account transcript is the authoritative source, so if that shows your return was filed, you're all set. The wage transcript system runs on a different update cycle and can take 2-6 weeks to catch up, especially during peak filing season. Since you mentioned needing the refund for your husband's PCS move, I'd recommend checking your account transcript for processing codes like TC 150 (return posted) and TC 846 (refund issued). If you see those, your return is definitely in the system and processing normally despite what the wage transcript shows.