TaxSlayer might be part of the problem tbh. Used them for years but switched to FreeTaxUSA this year after TaxSlayer messed up my state return last time. Their system sometimes submits things in weird formats that trigger manual review flags at the IRS.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - filed in early February and still waiting. From what I've learned lurking in tax forums, divorce situations with kids are basically guaranteed to get extra scrutiny. The IRS has to verify that both parents aren't claiming the same children, which can take weeks or even months. One thing that helped me was setting up informed delivery with USPS so I could see if any IRS letters were coming before they actually arrived. Sometimes those verification letters get delayed or lost, and you don't want to miss the deadline to respond. Also, if you're really strapped for cash while waiting, some tax prep places offer refund advance loans, though the interest rates are pretty brutal. Might be worth looking into if you're facing late fees on bills.

I'm kinda shocked nobody's mentioned that Oregon has its own witholding form too (OR W-4). If you're only adjusting your federal W-4, you're missing half the equation. Oregon's state tax rates are pretty high (up to 9.9%!) and that might explain why your state refund was smaller than expected last time. You should check if your employer has you fill out a separate Oregon withholding form or if they just use your federal W-4 settings for state witholding too. Could make a big difference!

This is such great advice about the Oregon W-4! I honestly had no idea there was a separate state form. I just filled out the federal W-4 when I got hired and assumed that covered everything. Looking at my paystub now, I can see they're taking out Oregon state tax, but I have no clue what rate or how it was calculated. I'm going to check with HR tomorrow to see if I need to fill out a separate Oregon form. Oregon's tax rates being up to 9.9% is pretty scary - that could definitely explain why my state refund was so much smaller than I expected. Between potentially higher federal rates if TCJA expires AND making sure my Oregon withholding is right, I feel like I have a lot more to figure out than I thought! Thanks for pointing this out - I probably would have just focused on federal and gotten another surprise next year.

Don't overthink this. I've been sports betting for years and here's my simple approach: 1. Track all deposits into betting accounts 2. Track all withdrawals from betting accounts 3. At end of year: if withdrawals > deposits = report the difference as gambling income 4. If deposits > withdrawals = potential gambling loss (deductible if itemizing) The IRS doesn't care about individual bets, bonus money, etc. They just want net numbers. Unless you're winning so much you're getting W-2Gs, this method keeps it simple and accurate.

I've been dealing with this exact situation and want to share what I learned after consulting with a tax professional. The key thing to understand is that bonus money creates a timing issue for tax reporting. When you receive a $65 bonus with wagering requirements, that bonus isn't taxable income yet because you can't actually access it. However, once you meet those requirements and the money becomes withdrawable, ANY amount you can withdraw (including the original bonus) becomes taxable income at that point. So in your example, if you complete the $130 wagering requirement and end up with $80 withdrawable (your $65 deposit + $15 net win from the bonus), you'd report $15 as gambling income. If you had won more and could withdraw $150 total, you'd report $85 as income ($150 - $65 original deposit). The tricky part is keeping detailed records of when bonuses become unlocked vs. when you actually withdraw. I use a simple spreadsheet tracking: deposit date/amount, bonus received, wagering requirement completion date, and final withdrawable amount. This way I can clearly show the IRS what portion represents actual gambling income versus return of my original deposits. Most importantly, don't try to separate "bonus money wins" from "real money wins" - the IRS doesn't recognize that distinction once the money is all in your account.

I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation! Filed in early April and still stuck with Tax Topic 152 and that frustrating "delayed beyond normal timeframe" message. The no status bars thing is what really gets me - like, give us SOMETHING to show progress is being made. I've been reading through all these comments and it sounds like getting your transcript is really the key to understanding what's actually happening. Going to try setting up that IRS account tonight and see if I can get some real answers about why this is taking so long. Has anyone had success with just waiting it out vs. actively trying to contact them? I'm torn between being patient and trying to get through to an actual person who can help move things along.

I'm in almost the exact same boat - filed in late March and still getting that same "delayed beyond normal timeframe" message with Tax Topic 152. The lack of any status bars is so frustrating because you have no idea if any progress is being made at all. From reading through all these comments, it really seems like getting your transcript is the most important first step. That's where the real information is hiding that the Where's My Refund tool doesn't show you. I'm definitely going to try setting up an IRS account this weekend to see what codes are actually on my return. The calling services people mentioned sound helpful but I'm wondering if I should try the transcript route first before spending money on those. Has anyone here found that just having the transcript information was enough to understand the delay without needing to actually call? Also really appreciate the tip about contacting your congressman's office - I had no idea that was even an option for tax issues!

I'm so stressed about this too! My return was accepted on February 8th and I didn't see ANY movement on WMR until March 1st - that's 22 days of nothing! 😫 When it finally updated, it went straight from "Return Received" to "Refund Approved" and I got my money 3 days later. The whole time I was checking multiple times a day and getting more anxious with each passing day. The IRS is definitely moving slower this year than I've ever seen before!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Filed on February 28th, accepted the same day, and it's been radio silence from WMR ever since. I keep telling myself to stop checking it obsessively, but working from home makes it way too easy to refresh that page every few hours. Reading through everyone's experiences here is actually really reassuring - sounds like 2-3 weeks with no movement is pretty normal this year, even for simple returns. I think the IRS is just overwhelmed and moving at their own pace. At least we're all in this waiting game together! Thanks for posting this question because I was starting to wonder if something was wrong with my return.