Amended 2022 Return Still Processing - Will It Hold Up My 2023 Refund?

Oh man, I feel your pain! I was in the EXACT same boat last year. The good news is that your 2023 return SHOULD process normally even with an amendment still pending. The bad news? The IRS is STILL working through a massive backlog of amended returns from the pandemic years. My 2021 amendment took 14 months to process! 😩 Don't panic though - file your 2023 return as normal and it should go through their system separately.

I might have a solution that could help you... When my amendment was stuck for months, I tried calling the regular IRS number and couldn't get through to anyone. It was possibly the most frustrating experience of my tax life. Then I discovered Claimyr (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) which connected me to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes. The agent was able to look up my amendment status and give me a much more detailed explanation than the "still processing" message online. It might be worth trying if you need clarity before filing your current return.

You might want to consider requesting a Tax Account Transcript for 2022, which could potentially show if your amendment has been received but not yet fully processed. Sometimes, amendments get "stuck" in a particular processing stage, and knowing exactly where yours is might help determine your next steps. I believe you can request this transcript online through the IRS website, though it may take a week or so to receive it if you request by mail.

I experienced this exact scenario with my 1040X from 2021 that I filed in April 2022. The amended return took approximately 16 months to fully process, but my 2022 refund was processed within the standard timeframe without any delays. The IRS systems appear to handle current-year returns and amendments as separate workflows, so you shouldn't experience any refund withholding based on my experience.

After my amendment nightmare last year (still waiting, lol), I found taxr.ai which saved my sanity. It basically translates all that IRS gibberish on your transcript into actual English. 😂 When I uploaded my transcript, it showed me exactly where my amendment was stuck and predicted (correctly) when it would finally move forward. Might help you figure out if there's an actual issue or if it's just in the endless "processing" queue. And no, your current refund shouldn't be held hostage by the amendment - they're separate systems.

Have you checked the "Where's My Amended Return" tool on IRS.gov recently? According to the IRS.gov processing timelines page, they're currently showing processing times of 20+ weeks for amended returns filed in 2023. If you're beyond that window, did you receive any correspondence from the IRS requesting additional information? Sometimes amendments get stuck because they're waiting for a response that may have been lost in the mail.

I had a similar situation with an amended 2020 return that took 13 months to process. Per Internal Revenue Manual 21.5.3.4.6.1, amended returns are generally processed in the order received, but certain conditions can cause delays. My 2021 and 2022 returns processed normally during this time. According to IRC § 6402(a), the IRS can only offset your refund against outstanding tax liabilities, not pending amendments. File your 2023 return as normal - it should process independently.