Don't wait for the letter at all! I went through this exact nightmare last year. The IRS told me they sent a letter. Waited 6 weeks. Nothing came. I finally gave up waiting and called the appointment line (844-545-5640). Told them I never got my letter but needed to verify. They booked me anyway! When I went to my appointment, I just explained I never received the letter. They looked me up in their system, saw I needed verification, and proceeded normally. My refund was released 8 days later. The letters are so backed up it's ridiculous! I actually received mine TWO MONTHS after my verification was complete and refund received. What a joke.

It seems like the consensus here is that you should probably call for an appointment rather than attempting to walk in. I've heard from several colleagues that the TACs are generally quite strict about the appointment policy, though there might be some variation depending on your local office. As for documentation, it would be advisable to bring perhaps more than you think you'll need. This would likely include: your government-issued photo ID, social security card, copies of your current tax return, possibly previous years' returns, any correspondence you've received from the IRS (even if not the specific verification letter), and utility bills or other proof of address. The verification process itself is usually relatively straightforward once you're actually at your appointment, from what I understand. The real challenge appears to be securing that appointment in the first place.

Be extremely careful about how you submit your W2! Last year my sister faxed her W2 to what she thought was the right department, but it wasn't properly routed to her case. Her refund was delayed for 5 months, and she had to start the verification process all over again in June. Did your tax preparer specifically tell you which form or notice number you received? Was it a CP05, CP75, or something else? Have you checked your online account at IRS.gov to see if there's a specific notice?

I successfully resolved this exact issue last month! (Tax season: where the odds are never in your favor, lol.) I asked my tax preparer for the specific notice number, called the IRS using the number on that notice, and they provided the exact fax number for my case. I sent my W2 with a copy of the notice and received confirmation of processing within 10 days. My refund was deposited exactly 16 days after faxing the documents. Make sure you get a fax confirmation page and keep it until your refund arrives!

You might want to consider FreeTaxUSA as a possible middle ground. They generally charge around $15 for state filing, but federal filing with Schedule C is completely free. Their interface is perhaps a bit more comprehensive than Cash App Tax, though admittedly not quite as polished as H&R Block. Many users find their guidance for self-employment income to be reasonably thorough, especially if you're somewhat familiar with the basic principles of business expense deductions.

I compared multiple platforms for my DoorDash income ($18K last year). Here's what I found: • Cash App Tax: Free but confusing UI for business expenses • H&R Block: $89.99 but caught all deductions • TurboTax: $119 and pushy upsells • FreeTaxUSA: $15 (state only) with decent guidance The Cash App interface literally asked me ONE question about mileage while H&R Block had a comprehensive section covering everything from hot bags to phone mounts. Ended up with $1,200 more in deductions with H&R Block.

Just checked my Chase account at 3:42pm today and my refund finally appeared as pending! Had the same April 13th DDD. SBTPG website still shows unfunded though, so their tracker is definitely behind. Expecting the money to be available by April 12th based on previous years.

I've been through this process maybe 5 or 6 times now, and it seems like SBTPG is holding funds longer than they used to. Last year my refund hit Chase about 36 hours before my DDD, but this year it's cutting it much closer. Probably due to increased volume or additional verification steps they're implementing.

I believe there might be a slight misunderstanding about how DDDs work. The date shown on the transcript is when the IRS releases the payment to the Treasury Department. The Treasury then initiates the ACH transfer to your friend's bank. Her bank may then have its own processing time. This multi-step process typically takes 1-3 business days, though it can sometimes be completed same-day. It's probably still in process.

Is this the first time your friend has received a tax refund via direct deposit to this particular account? I'm wondering if there could be an issue with the account information. Has she double-checked that the last four digits of the account on her tax return match her actual account?