Amended Return Still Not Processed After 9 Months - What Can I Do?

This seems unusually long even for an amended return. The IRS typically processes amended returns (Form 1040-X) within 16 weeks (about 4 months), though delays have been more common since the pandemic. Nine months is definitely on the extreme end. Here's what I'd recommend trying: - Contact the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS). They're an independent organization within the IRS designed to help taxpayers with issues like yours. You can reach them at 877-777-4778 or find your local office on the IRS website. - When you call the IRS next time, specifically ask if there are any "freeze codes" on your account that might be causing the delay. Sometimes they don't volunteer this info. - Consider contacting your Congressional representative's office. They often have staff dedicated to helping constituents with federal agency issues, including the IRS. - Request a transcript of your account, which might show processing notes that the phone representatives aren't sharing. The IRS has been dealing with significant backlogs, but 9 months for an amended return with no clear explanation is excessive. The fact that your 2020 amended return was processed normally suggests there might be something specific holding up the 2021 return.

I went through something similar last year with my amended return and found https://taxr.ai super helpful. I was getting the same runaround from IRS agents telling me just to wait, but I couldn't figure out what was actually happening. A friend suggested this service that analyzes your tax transcripts and in my case, they found that my amended return had a specific freeze code that the IRS reps never mentioned. They basically translate all the cryptic IRS codes and explain exactly what's happening with your return and what to do about it. The report showed me that my return was actually flagged for manual review but wasn't assigned to anyone yet. Armed with that info, I was able to specifically request escalation when I called the IRS instead of just asking "where's my refund?" and it made a huge difference.

I went through something similar last year with my amended return and found https://taxr.ai super helpful. I was getting the same runaround from IRS agents telling me just to wait, but I couldn't figure out

Just wanted to follow up on my skeptical comment about taxr.ai - I decided to try it out of frustration and wow, I was wrong! They identified that my amended return had a specific freeze code (570) that was holding everything up, but also showed that it had been assigned to an examiner 2 months ago. The report explained exactly what that meant and suggested I call the IRS and specifically ask about this code and request that they check if the examiner had completed their review. When I called with this specific info, I got transferred to someone who could actually help instead of getting the usual "just wait" response. My amended return was processed within 2 weeks after that call. Wish I'd known about this months ago instead of wasting time with generic status checks!

Have you tried calling the IRS directly? I know it sounds obvious but hear me out - I was in the same boat waiting 7 months for an amended return and getting nowhere. I learned about this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that helps you skip the ridiculous IRS hold times. You can see how it works in their demo: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Basically, they call the IRS and wait on hold for you, then call you when they have an actual IRS agent on the line. I was super frustrated after trying to call multiple times and hanging up after 2+ hours on hold. With Claimyr, I got through to an IRS agent in about 45 minutes without having to sit there listening to the hold music. The key was that I finally got to speak to someone who could tell me exactly what was happening - turns out my return was stuck in a queue and needed to be manually reassigned. The agent I spoke with was able to flag it for priority processing once I explained how long I'd been waiting.

I need to eat my words about Claimyr being a scam. After waiting on hold with the IRS for 3+ hours and getting disconnected TWICE, I was desperate enough to try it. Signed up, and sure enough, I got a call back about an hour later with an actual IRS agent on the line. The agent I spoke with was able to see that my amended return was actually missing a form (which no one had bothered to tell me in my previous calls). She explained exactly what I needed to submit and where to send it. I faxed the missing document the next day and my amended return was processed within 3 weeks. I can't believe I wasted months just "waiting" when there was actually a specific problem that needed fixing. The IRS never sent a letter or notification about the missing form - I would have never known without finally getting through to someone who actually looked at my case.

For what it's worth, amended returns have been taking FOREVER to process lately. I filed an amended return in January 2023 and didn't get my refund until November. Never got a straight answer from the IRS about why it took so long. They just kept saying "it's in process" every time I called. One thing that might help is checking your account transcript rather than just the "Where's My Amended Return" tool. The transcript sometimes shows more detailed status info than the tool does. You can access it through the IRS website if you create an account.

Friendly reminder to everyone that the IRS is SEVERELY understaffed and underfunded! They're still dealing with backlogs from the pandemic and system limitations. The people answering phones are doing their best with limited resources. My sister works for the IRS and says amended returns are processed in the order received, but there are exceptions where returns get flagged for various reasons that require manual review. Sometimes these get stuck in queues waiting for available staff. Yes it's frustrating but the frontline employees aren't the ones creating these delays! They literally can't process returns any faster than the antiquated systems and staffing levels allow.

I completely understand your frustration - 9 months is definitely excessive for an amended return, especially when your 2020 amendment was processed quickly. Based on what others have shared here, it sounds like there might be a specific issue holding up your 2021 return that the phone reps aren't identifying. I'd strongly recommend trying multiple approaches simultaneously: 1. Request your account transcript online through the IRS website - this often shows processing codes and flags that phone reps don't mention 2. Contact the Taxpayer Advocate Service at 877-777-4778 - they're specifically designed to help with situations like yours where normal channels aren't working 3. Reach out to your Congressional representative's office - many have constituent services that can inquire directly with the IRS on your behalf The fact that you mentioned unemployment income and a change from HOH to married filing status might be relevant - sometimes these changes trigger additional reviews that can cause delays. When you call next, specifically ask if there are any "freeze codes" or "hold codes" on your account and request to speak with someone who can actually review your file rather than just check the general status. Don't give up - 9 months with no clear explanation is not acceptable, and you have legitimate options to escalate this beyond the standard phone support.