After waiting 8 weeks with my transcript showing N/A, I finally got through to the IRS using Claimyr.com. It got me past the hold times (which were insane - I tried for days before). The agent confirmed my return was just stuck in the processing queue and needed manual review because of a mismatch with my W-2. They fixed it while I was on the phone and my transcript updated two days later. Refund came a week after that. Sometimes you just need to talk to a human!

Have you checked for any letters from the IRS? Sometimes they need additional verification but the letter gets delayed or lost. If your return has been accepted since January, there's likely something specific holding it up beyond normal processing times.

Be careful here! According to IRS Publication 5084, once your return is accepted, direct deposit information CANNOT be changed. If the funds are sent to a closed account, Section 6402(n) of the Internal Revenue Code requires the IRS to issue a paper check to your address of record. This typically adds 2-3 weeks to processing time. I learned this the hard way last year and ended up waiting almost 8 weeks for my refund check to arrive.

You might want to consider setting up a refund trace if your refund doesn't arrive within the expected timeframe. It's generally more effective than calling repeatedly. The IRS can initiate a trace approximately 5 days after a direct deposit was scheduled or 4 weeks after a paper check was supposed to be mailed. In my experience, this sometimes resolves issues faster than waiting for the normal process to play out, especially when there are account number discrepancies.

It appears that your timeline is actually somewhat typical for this tax season. In my professional opinion, the Child Tax Credit verification process has been taking approximately 45-60 days for many taxpayers this year. If you're interested in understanding what was happening behind the scenes with your return, you might want to check out taxr.ai - it can analyze your tax transcript and explain all those cryptic codes and dates. It's particularly helpful for identifying if you had a 570 hold code that was subsequently released with a 571 code, which is common with CTC verification cases.

Ngl the whole process is total BS. I filed Feb 10 and STILL waiting. No DDD, no nothing. Just "still being processed" for 2+ months. IRS website is useless af and their phone system is a joke. Ppl shouldn't have to pay extra $ just to get basic info about THEIR OWN MONEY. The system is broken and nobody in govt seems to care.

I went through identity verification last month. Called 800-830-5084 directly. No letter needed. Waited 47 minutes. They asked about previous addresses, loan amounts, and filing history. Verification completed in one call. Return processed 12 days later. Worth the wait.

Just to clarify something important - you do NOT need the letter to call the identity verification line. The letter just tells you that you need to verify. If you suspect you need to verify your identity (like if Where's My Refund shows no progress or you received notification about your amended return needing verification), you can proactively call 800-830-5084. They'll determine if you actually need to go through the verification process.

Here's a little IRS phone hack that actually works (and no, it's not "call 4,000 times in a row" 😂). The trick is to select the option for "making a payment" when you call the main number. Those agents can't handle complex technical questions, but they CAN transfer you directly to the right department, bypassing the main queue. It's like finding the secret warp zone in Super Mario Bros, except instead of skipping to World 8, you skip to an actual human at the IRS! I've used this successfully three times this year.

Back in 2022, I had a similar issue with my non-resident tax filing. What I found is that the IRS has different service levels at different times of the year. Right now we're in peak season, so wait times are at their absolute worst. Last year I couldn't get through at all in April, but when I called in June, I was connected within 15 minutes. If your issue isn't urgent, sometimes the best strategy is simply waiting until after the April rush subsides. The difference in service quality and wait times is remarkable.