I believe I might be able to provide some helpful insight. I successfully navigated this exact situation about 3 weeks ago. After completing the online verification, I received an email confirmation, and approximately 12 days later, my tax transcript updated showing that processing had resumed. It seems that, in most cases, the online verification is sufficient, though there may possibly be certain circumstances where additional phone verification is necessary. My refund was deposited exactly 17 days after my transcript updated, which was a pleasant surprise given the typical processing timelines we often hear about.

Has anyone actually read these verification letters closely?! They're SUPER clear about whether you need to call OR verify online! I got so frustrated with this last year. The letter will say one of these things: 1. "Verify your identity online OR by phone" (either option works) 2. "Verify your identity online AND call the number below" (need both) 3. "Call the number below to verify your identity" (phone only) Look at your exact letter wording. 90% of these letters are type #1 where online verification is completely sufficient. The IRS isn't going to waste their limited phone resources if they don't have to!

I've tracked NJ processing times for exactly 6 years now. This season is actually 4.2 days FASTER than last year for e-filed returns. The average processing time is 28.7 days for simple returns and 41.3 days for returns with credits/deductions. Out of 112 data points from my tax preparation clients, 87% received their refunds within the expected window. The remaining 13% had verification issues that required additional documentation. The system is actually working as designed - it's just designed to be frustratingly slow.

Just to clarify something important here - what OP experienced is specifically for NJ state refunds, not federal IRS refunds. The processing systems are completely separate. I work with tax clients and see this confusion often. New Jersey has its own Division of Taxation with different processing timelines than the IRS. Back in 2022, I had a client who waited 7 weeks for their NJ refund but got their federal in 10 days. Another got federal in 6 weeks but NJ came in just 2 weeks. There's no correlation between state and federal processing speeds.

According to the IRS Refund Cycle Chart available on igotmyrefund.com, deposits with a DDD of 3/13 typically follow the standard 8-day processing cycle. The IRS usually transmits the funds to financial institutions 1-2 days before the DDD, but most banks hold them until the official date. Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Chase typically release exactly on the DDD, while some credit unions and online banks like Chime or Cash App might release 1-2 days early. The 846 code is the final step in the process and means your return has cleared all verification steps. Barring any last-minute offsets, you should be good to go!

I had a DDD of 3/6 and was counting on it for my car insurance payment. Transcript showed 846 code, everything looked perfect, but then my bank held it for 24 hours for "verification" because it was over $5,000. Not the IRS's fault, but something to be aware of if you have a large refund coming. Some banks place automatic holds on government deposits over certain thresholds, especially if you don't usually receive large deposits. Might want to call your bank ahead of time to ask about their policy on tax refund deposits to avoid any surprises.

Instead of waiting for WMR to update, I've had better luck checking my account transcript directly on the IRS website. The cycle codes tell you exactly when your return is being processed. For example, if you see cycle code 20240905, the 09 means it processed on the 9th week of the year, and the 05 means it's in the Thursday overnight cycle. Your deposit usually comes 5-8 days after that date. Much more accurate than the WMR tool.

Similar timeline here! My experience: • Filed 1/31 • Accepted 2/2 • WMR stuck on first bar for 6 weeks • No letters received • Called IRS on 3/8 after transcript showed 570 code • ID verified over phone • DDD appeared 4 days later The agent mentioned they're requiring more verifications this year due to increased fraud attempts. Glad you finally got your DDD!

I would approach this systematically: • Print and save screenshots of the "Action Needed" message as documentation • Call the specific Identity Verification number (800-830-5084) rather than the general IRS line • Request that they specifically check the Taxpayer Protection Program database • Ask for a "Case Research" to determine if your verification is stuck • Inquire about getting a Taxpayer Advocate assigned if it's been more than 30 days I'm concerned that if this continues much longer, it could impact the timing of your refund issuance. The disconnect between systems is worrying and suggests your verification might be stuck in an administrative queue.

I went through this EXACT nightmare last year! The ID verification showed completed on my end but the IRS systems didn't update for almost 7 weeks. When will my refund actually process if the transcript still shows N/A? Did they give you any timeframe when you called? I need to know if I should keep calling them or just wait it out at this point.