Have you considered calling the Taxpayer Advocate Service? They can sometimes help when you're stuck in review without clear information. Did the agent give you any specific timeframe besides "end of March"? Was there any mention of what might have triggered the review in the first place? In my experience, it's better to be proactive rather than just waiting. Keep detailed notes of every conversation including the ID number of any IRS employee you speak with. This can be incredibly helpful if you need to reference previous discussions.

Let me share a cautionary tale from 2022 that might prepare you for what could happen. I was told the same thing - "no issues, just call back in a few weeks." But when I did call back? They had no record of my previous conversation and claimed I needed to submit additional documentation that was never mentioned before. Did they provide you with a case number or confirmation of your review status? Without that, you're at the mercy of whoever answers the phone next time. The review process took 4 months in total, and I had to provide the same information three separate times to different departments. My refund was significantly delayed, and I had to adjust financial plans accordingly.

I was in pending status for almost a week, but my payment actually came through yesterday! I was so relieved. The money went straight to my daughter's summer camp fees. Has anyone noticed if updating your direct deposit information affects the timing? I updated mine right before the July payment and wonder if that's what caused the delay?

FYI for everyone - the CTC portal usually updates overnight between 12am-3am EST. So if you're checking multiple times during the day, you prob won't see changes. Also, bank processing times vary HUGELY. My credit union posts pending deposits immediately, but my husband's big bank holds them for 24hrs even tho they can see them. Most ppl I know w/ pending status got their $$ within 5 biz days. If you're still waiting after a week, def try to contact IRS bc something else might be going on w/ your account.

Be careful about assuming everything is fine just because you're in a disaster area. It's like thinking you have a fast pass at an amusement park, but actually ending up in a special line that moves even slower. My neighbor was in the same situation last year after the hurricanes, thought everything was fine after a phone call, but then received a CP05 audit letter two weeks later. He had to provide additional documentation to verify his income and withholding. The disaster designation can sometimes trigger additional scrutiny rather than faster processing.

Did they tell you what the letter was about? I'm in a very similar situation and need to know: • Was it an identity verification letter? • Did they say how long after verification your refund would come? • Did they confirm if your return was actually being processed? • Did you have any credits or deductions that might trigger extra review? My 21 days are up tomorrow and I NEED this refund ASAP!

Your timeline is actually faster than the average I'm seeing for EITC/CTC filers this year. Compared to 2022 when average wait times were 65+ days, or 2023 when they averaged around 45 days, your 39-day turnaround is relatively efficient. The IRS has been gradually improving their processing systems, though they're still not back to pre-pandemic speeds when EITC/CTC returns typically processed in 21-28 days.

Just a heads-up for anyone still waiting - the IRS is processing returns in batches this year based on filing date and complexity. If you filed with similar credits around Jan 21-25, you should see updates very soon. The current batch being processed includes those filed Jan 20-25 with refundable credits. Next batch will likely be Jan 26-31 filers.

I had a similar situation with my stepdaughter last year compared to what you're describing. Unlike claiming a niece or cousin where you might only get the $500 credit, stepchildren are treated almost the same as biological children for tax purposes. The IRS Publication 501 specifically lists stepchildren as qualifying children, not just qualifying relatives. This is completely different from how they treat more distant relatives where the rules are much stricter.

Be extremely careful here. I've seen numerous cases where stepparents claimed EIC, then got audited because the biological parent also claimed the child. Even with documentation, these cases can be nightmares. Form 8332 (Release of Claim to Exemption) from the biological parent can help, but isn't always required. The IRS tiebreaker rules will automatically favor the biological parent unless you have substantial documentation proving they had no involvement.