I was worried about spending money on a service too, but honestly, it saved me so much stress! The time I would have spent on hold is worth way more than what they charge. Plus, finding out early that my refund had an issue meant I could adjust my budget immediately rather than waiting weeks for a letter in the mail. When you're counting on that refund money for bills, knowing exactly what's happening is priceless. The peace of mind alone was worth it for me.

FYI - if ur DD date was 2/26 & still nothing, check transcript for TC 971 code. Sometimes they flip from DD to check w/o telling u. Also, many banks (esp Wells & BofA) holding tax refunds for 5-7 biz days this yr due to fraud concerns. TT batches usually hit accts by EOD on DD date but can take up to 5 biz days to clear banking system. Def call ur bank first, then IRS if needed.

I had this exact issue with my 2023 refund. Called the IRS after waiting 42 days from filing (direct deposit selected). The agent told me there was no trace number needed from me - they generated one during the call. The trace revealed my bank had rejected the deposit due to an account number typo. The entire process took 9 weeks from initiating the trace until I received a paper check in the mail. Make sure you have your exact refund amount, filing date, and filing status ready when you call.

Be very careful with this situation. My cousin had a similar issue last year where his refund showed as sent but never arrived. He waited too long to start the trace (over 90 days) and ran into major headaches. The IRS claimed it was delivered and put the burden of proof on him. Compared to my experience where I filed the trace at exactly 6 weeks, his took 5 months to resolve and required multiple calls. Don't delay - if your bank confirms nothing was received and it's been over 5 weeks for direct deposit, call immediately to start the trace.

After reading everyone's responses, I'm wondering if calling the IRS might help in this situation. I found these helpful points about reaching them: • Regular IRS phone lines have 2+ hour wait times currently • Best times to call are Tuesday-Thursday mornings • You'll need specific info ready (SSN, filing status, exact refund amount) • Many people are getting disconnected after waiting I tried using Claimyr (https://www.claimyr.com) last week when I was in a similar situation and they got me connected to an IRS agent in about 17 minutes. The agent confirmed my return was just in normal processing with no issues flagged. Worth considering if you're anxious about the delay.

Be extremely cautious about contacting the IRS before the official processing window has elapsed. According to the Internal Revenue Procedure 2023-17, premature inquiries can sometimes flag your return for Taxpayer Delinquent Investigation review, which automatically adds a 45-day processing extension. I've seen numerous cases where well-intentioned follow-ups actually delayed refunds. The Integrated Automation Technologies system that manages return processing has specific time-based protocols, and interrupting those protocols can reset certain verification timers.

From what I'm seeing across multiple posts, returns filed between February 20-28 are taking approximately 45-60 days to process this year, compared to the usual 21 days. Your situation is almost identical to my sister's - she filed on 2/24 and just got her refund yesterday after 51 days with no updates until the final week. Your best approach now is to: 1) Check your transcript weekly (not daily - it won't help and will just stress you out) 2) Verify your banking information is correct in case they're ready to deposit 3) If you reach day 45 with no updates, then it's worth making another call The rep gave you good advice about the 30-day window. These processing delays are frustrating but normal this season.

I think there might be some confusion about what "processing shut down" actually means. Let me clarify based on my experience working with tax preparation: • The IRS doesn't completely shut down processing • What likely happened was maintenance on specific processing systems • These maintenance periods typically last 24-72 hours, not "weeks" • However, the backlog created can take weeks to clear • Different processing centers handle different regions • Some processing centers may be more affected than others This explains why your neighbor got their refund while you're still waiting - they might have been processed at a different center or their return had fewer elements requiring review. Hope this helps clarify what's happening behind the scenes!

I might have a somewhat unusual suggestion, but it could possibly help in your situation. I've found that contacting your local Taxpayer Advocate Service office might be more effective than the main IRS line, especially if your medical expense situation is causing financial hardship. They may be able to expedite assistance if you're experiencing significant difficulties.

On March 15th, I spent 4 hours on hold only to be disconnected at 4:58pm, 2 minutes before closing time. On March 16th, I tried again and waited 3.5 hours. The agent I finally reached couldn't help with my specific issue and transferred me - only to have me disconnected again. I empathize with your frustration - it's a broken system that desperately needs fixing.