I've dealt with the IRS for both personal and small business taxes for years, and I've found a completely different approach works better than calling before the 21-day mark. Compared to calling, these methods are much more effective: 1. Set up an online account at IRS.gov and check your transcript directly (this shows more than the WMR tool) 2. Use the "Where's My Refund" tool, but check only once per day (it updates overnight) 3. Check your bank account for pending deposits rather than relying on IRS status updates This is similar to tracking a package - calling the delivery company rarely gives you better information than the online tracking system. The phone representatives are looking at the same systems you can access yourself, just with slightly different views.

I've been researching how the IRS phone system works, and I'm curious about a few things: • Are you calling the general 1040 number or one of the specialized lines? • What specific information were you hoping to get before the 21-day mark? • Did you file with any special credits like EITC or CTC? • Have you checked if your return falls under PATH Act delays? The IRS processing system has these distinct phases: • Initial acceptance (what most people see in WMR) • Security review (invisible to taxpayers) • Processing verification (where most delays happen) • Final approval (when transcript updates) • Funding (when refund is scheduled) Each phase has different visibility to phone representatives, which explains the inconsistent experiences people report.

Did your Where's My Refund status change directly from "Still Processing" to showing a deposit date, or did it go through the "Approved" stage first? The technical progression should be Return Received → Return Approved → Refund Sent, but sometimes the IRS system updates all at once, skipping the middle stage in the user interface.

Have you tried checking your tax transcript instead of WMR? Isn't that supposed to be more accurate and detailed? I've been checking WMR for weeks with no updates, but when I finally checked my transcript online, it already showed my refund was processed. Why doesn't the IRS sync these systems better?

Has anyone tried calling the actual IRS agents instead of just the automated line? I was having this same problem and couldn't figure out what was going on. Tried for days to get through on the regular number but kept getting disconnected. Finally used Claimyr (https://www.claimyr.com) and actually got connected to a real person in about 15 minutes? They explained that my account had a temporary security flag because I logged in from a new device, which was causing the WMR error but not affecting the phone system. Might be worth checking if something similar is happening with yours?

I had this EXACT issue on April 2nd! The website kept giving me that error about incorrect information, but the phone system worked fine. I was really worried because I needed my refund for some unexpected expenses. On April 5th, I suddenly got access again on the website AND my refund status had updated to approved! Got my direct deposit on April 8th. It seems like sometimes the system locks you out right before updating your status. Hope this means good news is coming your way too!

Have you checked your transcript online? That's usually more informative than WMR. If you're seeing any codes like 570/971, you might want to understand what they mean. I used https://taxr.ai to analyze my transcript last week when I was confused about some weird codes. It explained everything in plain English and gave me an estimated deposit date that turned out to be spot on. As a small business owner myself, I know how frustrating it is when you're counting on that money for equipment purchases.

I'm in almost the identical situation. Filed 1/22, accepted 1/28, still nothing. Meanwhile my sister who filed on 2/15 already got her refund last week. The processing order seems completely random this year compared to previous tax seasons when it was more first-come-first-served. I've noticed that people with simple W-2 only returns seem to be getting processed faster than those of us with any kind of business income or deductions, even if we filed earlier.

Did they tell you what triggered the review? Was it a specific deduction? Did they mention any documentation you need to provide? Will you get another call?

According to Internal Revenue Manual section 4.1.3, random selection for review is part of the IRS's Taxpayer Compliance Measurement Program. It's not necessarily indicative of any issues with your return. Most of these reviews complete within the stated timeframe as long as no discrepancies are found. If you don't receive your refund within 3 weeks, you may request a Taxpayer Advocate intervention under IRC section 7811 if the delay creates financial hardship.