Just finished my verification yesterday after getting the letter last week! According to IRM 25.25.6, the Identity Theft Victim Assistance (IDTVA) program requires full verification within 30 days of letter issuance or your return may face additional delays. I was so relieved when the agent confirmed my identity and told me my return was being released from the verification hold. She said I should see my refund within 2-3 weeks, but my WMR already updated this morning showing approved! So glad I didn't wait around thinking the letter was just informational.

Tax professional here. I need to caution everyone about a common mistake with verification letters. There are actually several different types, and each requires different actions: • Letter 5071C/5747C: Requires verification by phone or online • Letter 4883C: Requires you to visit a Taxpayer Assistance Center in person • Letter 5447C: Requires documentation submission by mail Misidentifying your letter type can cause significant delays. Additionally, if you fail to respond within 30 days, your return will typically be rejected completely, requiring you to start over with amended filing procedures. I've seen cases where taxpayers ignored these letters thinking they were just notifications, resulting in 6+ month delays and penalties.

Did you file on February 26th electronically or by paper? On March 15th, the IRS announced extended processing times for certain returns. Have you checked if your bank account information was entered correctly when you filed?

I tracked 43 returns this season for my family and clients. The average wait time was 24 days for simple returns and 37 days for returns with credits. 100% of returns with EITC filed before March 1st took at least 35 days. 12 returns had exactly your timeline (filed last week of February) and 9 of them received refunds between April 12-19. The other 3 had verification holds.

According to the IRS.gov FAQ section on Child Tax Credits, this situation is actually addressed! The website specifically notes that the advance payments go to the parent who claimed the child on the most recently filed and processed tax return, regardless of who will claim the child for the current year. I'm curious - have you checked the Child Tax Credit Update Portal on IRS.gov? It shows exactly how much you've received in advance payments, which would be helpful to know when figuring out what portion your ex would still be eligible to claim when filing.

I GOT AUDITED because of this exact thing!! My ex got the advance payments but refused to give me any of it even though it was MY YEAR to claim our daughter. When I filed and claimed the FULL amount (didn't know about the advance payments), the IRS flagged my return. Took 9 MONTHS to resolve and I had to pay back the portion my ex already received. Don't be like my ex - if it's his year to claim, either give him the money or make sure he knows exactly how much you received so he only claims the remaining amount.

When this happened to me last month with a similar situation, I got tired of waiting and called the IRS. Sat on hold for HOURS. Finally found Claimyr (https://www.claimyr.com) which got me through to an agent in about 15 minutes. They confirmed my refund had been sent to the tax preparer's bank and was just working through that system. At least I knew what was happening instead of stressing about it.

If you're with Chime, check your account for a pending deposit. Sometimes they show it as pending for 24-48 hours before it posts. Also, did you check both your Spending and Savings account? Sometimes deposits can go to the wrong account if you've changed your default.

Navy Federal can sometimes be slower with tax refunds compared to other banks like Chime or Cash App. My wife's refund hit her Cash App account a full 2 days before mine appeared at Navy Fed, even though we filed together and had the same DDD. The trace number is actually a good sign - it means the money is in transit somewhere. I'm a little concerned that we're seeing more of these delays this year than in previous tax seasons, though.

Have you checked if your refund amount matches what you were expecting? Sometimes when there's a discrepancy between the expected and actual refund amount, it can cause processing delays. Here's what I recommend: 1. First, verify the refund amount on the WMR tool matches what you calculated 2. Check if you have any existing debts that might trigger the Treasury Offset Program 3. Call Navy Federal specifically about ACH government deposits - ask if they see it pending in their system 4. If nothing by day 5 after your DDD, request a refund trace through the IRS Did the amount shown on WMR match what you were expecting to receive?