I need to share a cautionary tale here. I verified online on February 27th (exactly 23 days ago), thought everything was fine, and waited patiently. After seeing posts like this, I called yesterday and discovered my verification had NEVER processed correctly. The agent told me that approximately 42% of online verifications since February 1st have been affected by this glitch. After verifying by phone, she told me to expect my refund within 9 business days. If I hadn't called, I might have been waiting indefinitely. The system won't notify you if your verification fails!

For anyone dealing with this issue, I created a timeline based on my experience and what I've seen from others: 1. If you verified online between January 29, 2024 and March 15, 2024, and were only asked about 2024 information, your verification likely didn't complete properly 2. After calling and completing phone verification, most people are seeing transcript updates within 2-5 days 3. Refunds are typically being issued 5-9 days after successful phone verification 4. The IRS updated their system on March 16, 2024 to fix this issue for new verifications, but they're not automatically fixing previously affected accounts Hope this helps others navigate this frustrating situation!

Is TurboTax's estimate reliable? I'm worried now. I just filed last week. Used TurboTax too. Got the same 5-day early option. Should I be concerned? Everyone's talking about transcripts. Never checked mine before. Is it really that helpful?

You should check the IRS2Go app right away! Sometimes it updates before the website does. According to the IRS Refund Status page (https://www.irs.gov/refunds), they're still processing many February returns. The 21-day normal processing time doesn't always apply during peak season. If it's been more than 21 days since you e-filed, you should definitely call them at 1-800-829-1040, but be prepared to wait a long time. Check your transcript ASAP to see if there are any hold codes!

Here's what I recommend based on my experience: Step 1: Create an account on IRS.gov if you haven't already Step 2: Access your tax transcript (account transcript specifically) Step 3: Look for code 150 (tax return filed) Step 4: Look for code 846 (refund issued) - this is what you're waiting for Step 5: If you see codes 570/971, there might be a review happening This approach gives you much more detailed information than the basic "Where's My Refund" tool. I was frustrated with the lack of information until I learned how to read my transcript properly. The transcript updates more frequently and shows exactly what's happening with your return.

Fwiw, my state (CA) and fed refunds were completely diff timelines. Got state super fast (like 8 days) but fed took forever (37 days total). The WMR tool was stuck on the first bar the whole time, but my transcript had all the deets. Had a mini heart attack when I saw code 570, but turns out it was just normal processing. Nothing to do w/ state refund timing tho - totally separate systems.

Had this exact issue. Called IRS after 4 weeks. They confirmed check was actually mailed. Started payment trace. Check arrived next day. Sometimes system updates before physical mailing occurs. Be patient. Almost there. Keep checking informed delivery.

Has anyone else noticed that the IRS seems to say checks are "mailed" before they actually hand them over to USPS? My refund was supposedly mailed on February 24th but didn't arrive until March 18th! I checked informed delivery every single day and was getting so anxious. Should I call them to ask what's happening? What if it got lost? How long should I wait before panicking?

I went through this exact verification process in February. Called for 2 weeks straight with the same message. What finally worked was calling the main IRS customer service line (1-800-829-1040) instead of the verification-specific number. When prompted by the automated system, I selected options for "tax filing questions" rather than "verification" which routed me to a general agent. That agent was able to transfer me directly to the verification department, bypassing the overloaded verification queue. This worked on my first attempt after countless failed calls to the verification line.

The verification backlog right now is worse than any time since 2021. Most people are waiting 3-4 weeks compared to the normal 7-10 days. If you need your refund urgently, you should consider contacting your local Taxpayer Advocate Service office - they can flag your verification for expedited processing if you can demonstrate financial hardship (like pending eviction, utility shutoff, medical bills). The verification queue is processed in batches every Tuesday and Thursday, so check your transcript on Wednesday and Friday mornings for the best chance of seeing updates.