I work with tax resolution cases, and bankruptcy's effect on tax refunds is somewhat complex. In most cases, tax debts less than 3 years old will likely still result in an offset, unless there's possibly an active bankruptcy stay in place. The Treasury Offset Program generally treats bankruptcy-included tax debts according to whether they were dischargeable or not. Your refund this year might be reduced by the remaining tax debt amount, but once that final amount is paid, future refunds should be unaffected. You might want to check your transcript to see if there's a TC 520 code with a closing code of 60-67, which would indicate bankruptcy proceedings affecting your account.

I went through almost the exact same thing last tax season! 😅 Filed Chapter 7 in late 2022, had some lingering tax debt from 2020, and was worried sick about my refund. The IRS did end up taking about $1,800 of my refund to pay off the remaining tax debt (which wasn't dischargeable because it was too recent). But here's the good news - once it was paid off, they released the rest of my refund about 3 weeks later. And this year? No problems at all! Got my full refund in 10 days. The light at the end of the tunnel is real, my friend!

I think people are making this more complicated than it needs to be. Here's what you should do: 1. First, check your Account Transcript - this shows processing codes and refund status 2. If you see codes you don't understand, then check the Record of Account for more context 3. If you're wondering if the IRS received all your information correctly, check the Return Transcript I'm a bit worried that checking daily might lead to unnecessary stress though. The IRS processing times are slower this year, and transcripts often update only weekly.

I think I might be able to help with this. I was probably in a somewhat similar situation last year. After trying both transcript types, I found that the Account Transcript is generally more useful for tracking refund status. It shows all the important cycle codes and, most importantly, the 846 refund issued code when your money is on the way. The Record of Account is basically a combination of your Account Transcript and Return Transcript, so it has more information but isn't necessarily more helpful for just tracking your refund status.

After waiting 7 weeks for my refund with both credits, I finally gave up on the regular IRS number and used Claimyr (https://www.claimyr.com). Got through to an agent in about 15 minutes instead of spending days trying to call. The agent confirmed my return was just stuck in the extended verification process but nothing was wrong. Got my refund about a week later. Worth it just for the peace of mind knowing nothing was actually wrong with my return.

H&R Block filer here too! Filed Feb 3rd with both credits, still waiting. Called IRS yesterday and they said it's "still processing" with no errors. Agent said they're just backed up and to keep waiting. So frustrating but at least we're not alone!

The main IRS number (800-829-1040) has an average wait time of 73 minutes according to data from March 2024. For CP12 notices specifically, you can also call the dedicated Accounts Management line at 800-829-0922, which has a slightly better average wait of 52 minutes. Call between 8:15am-9:30am Eastern or 6:00pm-6:45pm Eastern for shortest wait times. Avoid Mondays and the day after holidays completely - wait times increase by exactly 37% on those days based on IRS published statistics.

If you're calling about a CP12 notice, you should know that most math error adjustments don't actually require speaking to a representative. According to the IRS website, you have 60 days from the date of the notice to respond if you disagree with the adjustment. You can mail a written response to the address on the notice explaining why you disagree. This might be faster than trying to reach someone by phone, especially with call volumes being extremely high this time of year!

Did you receive any notices about identity verification? According to the IRS.gov updates page (https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/tax-season-updates), they're sending more verification letters this year for returns with refundable credits. Worth checking your mail carefully and your online account at https://www.irs.gov/payments/your-online-account if you haven't already.

Be careful about counting on specific dates. Under IRC §6402(a) and Rev. Proc. 2023-28, the IRS has extended authority to delay certain refunds for additional verification. I filed on February 1st last year with both credits, and my return got caught in a verification loop that lasted until April 15th. No explanation, no errors, just extra scrutiny that significantly delayed my refund. Make sure you have contingency plans for your business purchases in case this happens.