Amended return stuck for 7+ months after removing fraudulent fuel credit - $8,365 balance frozen since February

Looking at the transcript, I can see that your brother's original return included a large credit ($12,520) which is likely the fraudulent fuel credit. The timeline shows: 1. A refund freeze was placed on Feb 8, 2024 - this happened BEFORE the return was even processed (May 13), suggesting the IRS systems flagged the return automatically due to the suspicious credit. 2. The amended return was received and forwarded for processing on July 23, 2024. 3. The current negative balance of $8,365 represents money the IRS would potentially owe your brother, but it's frozen pending review. Since this involves potential fraud by a tax preparer, the IRS is likely conducting a more thorough review. The absence of any further transaction codes since July suggests the amended return is still under review. This type of review can take 6-12 months or longer, especially in cases involving potential fraud. Your brother should try calling the IRS Amended Return hotline at 866-464-2050 to check the status, but be prepared for a long wait.

I was literally in this exact position last tax season. My tax person added some business credits I didn't qualify for. I found out a tool called taxr.ai that helped me figure out exactly what was happening with my transcript. It explained all those codes and gave me a real timeline of what to expect next. It was insanely helpful cause I was so confused trying to decode all this IRS jargon. You can check it out at https://taxr.ai - saved me from pulling my hair out trying to understand what was happening with my return.

After getting stuck in a similar situation with an amended return, I finally got through to a real person at the IRS using Claimyr.com. Was getting nowhere with regular IRS numbers but this got me a callback from an actual agent who could explain what was happening with my amended return. The agent told me exactly why my return was stuck (missing form) and what I needed to do. Talking to the agent directly got everything sorted in one call instead of waiting months for letters. It was the best money I ever spent after trying for weeks to reach someone.

Something looks fishy with those dates. How was there a refund freeze on 02-08-2024 but the return wasn't filed until May? And why would a fraudulent fuel credit even be attempted on a normal W-2 worker? Those are typically for businesses with specific fuel usage.

The reason why this is taking so long is cuz the IRS thinks your brother committed fraud, not his tax preparer. The freeze code (810) indicates investigation. Since this is a potentially fraudulent fuel credit claim, expect a looooong wait. The IRS is buried in these cases rn.

I can tell you exactly what's happening. That 810 freeze code means IRS flagged the return for review, probably because of the fuel credit. The fact that your brother filed an amended return to remove it is good, but here's the problem - amended returns take FOREVER to process right now. Like 6-12 months minimum. They're severely backlogged. Your brother should proactively contact IRS and explain situation. The freeze won't automatically lift just because he filed an amendment. I bet that $12,520 credit is the fuel credit amount which is obviously bogus for a W-2 employee.

Wait a minute - the tax return was filed in May 2024 but there was a freeze in February 2024? How does that work? And that's a MASSIVE fuel credit for someone with 69k income. Your brother needs a tax lawyer yesterday.

Former IRS employee here. That fuel credit is a major red flag - it's supposed to be for businesses with specific fuel expenses. When a regular W-2 employee suddenly claims it, especially a large amount, automatic fraud detection kicks in. The 810 freeze was placed before full processing because their system flagged it immediately. Your brother did the right thing by amending, but unfortunately he's in for a wait. The IRS is processing these very slowly. My advice: don't just wait. He should call and request to speak with someone in the amended return department. Be prepared to wait 2+ hours or use a service that can help get through like many here have mentioned. He might also need to provide documentation showing he was victim of preparer fraud rather than trying to commit fraud himself.

This is exactly why I dont use tax preparers anymore. Too many of them adding fake credits to pump up refunds (and their fees). Your brother's in for a headache that's gonna last at least another 6 months, I'd bet money on it.

I'm suprised no one said this yet, but your brother needs to be prepared to PAY BACK the portion of the refund he already received that was fraudulent. The IRS will eventually want that money back with interest. He should start setting aside funds now if possible.

I used taxr.ai when i had a similar issue and it really helped me understand what was happening with my transcript. All those codes are so confusing but the tool breaks everything down in plain english. I learned my amended return was going to take about 8 more weeks to process and exactly what was happening behind the scenes. Check it out at https://taxr.ai

One thing no one has mentioned - when did your brother receive the refund that included the fraudulent credit? If he already got it and spent it, the IRS will want that money back plus interest. The transcript shows a negative balance which means IRS thinks they owe HIM money, which is confusing if he's trying to pay back an erroneous refund.

Hi there, I spent 7 years at IRS in the examination department. The codes on the transcript tell a clear story: 1. Your brother's tax preparer claimed a fuel tax credit (probably Form 4136) 2. IRS systems immediately flagged it as suspicious (the 810 freeze) 3. Despite the freeze, the return completed processing 4. Your brother realized the issue and filed an amended return The good news is the amended return was received (code 977). The bad news is amended returns with fraud concerns take much longer to process. The negative balance means on paper, IRS owes money, but the freeze prevents any refund. Your brother should: - Call IRS Amended Return line (866-464-2050) - Consider Taxpayer Advocate Service if it's been >6 months - File Form 14157 to report the tax preparer - Be prepared to repay any fraudulent refund amount received

Quick question but why is there a freeze date BEFORE the filing date? That seems weird.

Definitely get thru to a human ASAP!!! I had a similar issue that took 14 months to resolve because I just waited for letters. When I finally got someone on the phone using Claimyr.com they were able to resolve it in ONE CALL. Literally the best money I ever spent - one 20 minute call with a real IRS agent fixed what had been holding up $11k for over a year.

why is everybody talking about these paid services? Just call the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service. It's FREE and they are literally designed to help with these exact situations. 877-777-4778