Any early filers experiencing refund delays in 2025 tax season?

So frustrating! I finally got my taxes filed on the first possible day (Jan 23rd) and the IRS accepted my return right away. It's now been 17 days and still no refund. The "Where's My Refund" tracker is completely useless - just says "Your return is being processed" with no actual update. Has anyone else who filed super early this year actually received their refund yet? I'm getting close to the 21-day mark they claim is the standard processing time. Really counting on this money to pay some bills that are coming due. Anyone else in the same boat or have you gotten yours already?

0 coins

18 comments

Ian Armstrong

•8M

I'm a volunteer tax preparer and we're seeing a lot of delays this season, unfortunately. The IRS is dealing with staffing issues and increased security measures for fraud prevention which is affecting early filers especially. For early filers, the IRS often holds returns for additional verification before releasing refunds. This is particularly true for returns claiming certain credits like EITC or Child Tax Credit, but we're seeing it happen with basic returns too. The 21-day timeline is just an estimate, not a guarantee. Your best bet is to keep checking the Where's My Refund tool every 24 hours (checking more frequently won't help) and also check your tax transcript if you can access it online. Sometimes the transcript will show updates before the refund tracker does.

0 coins

Ian Armstrong

•8M

To check your tax transcripts, you'll need to create an account on IRS.gov if you don't already have one. Once logged in, you can request your "Account Transcript" for 2024. Look for a line that says "846 Refund Issued" with a date - that's when your refund is scheduled to be sent. The transcript can be more revealing than the WMR tool because it shows actual processing stages. You might see codes like "570" (additional account action pending) or "971" (notice issued) which gives you more insight. Sometimes people see their refund date on the transcript days before WMR updates.

0 coins

Marcus Patterson

•8M

After dealing with this exact situation last year, I finally discovered taxr.ai https://taxr.ai and it completely changed my tax filing experience. I was in the same boat as you - filed early, got accepted, then nothing but crickets from the IRS for weeks. I uploaded my return transcript to taxr.ai and it immediately showed me exactly where my return was stuck and why. Turns out I had a simple mismatch between my reported W-2 income and what my employer submitted, which was flagging my return for manual review. The site translated all those confusing IRS codes and told me exactly what was happening behind the scenes.

0 coins

Marcus Patterson

•8M

Yes, it absolutely works. It doesn't access your IRS information directly - you download your transcript from the IRS website yourself and then upload it to the tool. It then analyzes all those confusing codes and tells you in plain English what's happening with your return. It can't make your refund come faster, but it gives you peace of mind by showing exactly where your return is in the process and if there are any issues causing delays. In my case, I was able to contact my employer about the W-2 discrepancy which helped resolve the issue. Much better than staring at the unhelpful "processing" message for weeks.

0 coins

Lydia Bailey

•8M

I just tried taxr.ai after seeing the recommendation here and wow - it actually showed me exactly what's going on with my return! My transcript had code 570 which the tool explained means there's a hold on my account. Apparently they're verifying my 1099-NEC income since this is my first year with self-employment. At least now I know what's happening instead of just wondering why it's taking so long. The tool estimated I'll likely get my refund in about 10 more days based on the current status, which is way more helpful than the IRS's vague "still processing" message. Thanks for the tip - definitely worth checking out if you're stuck in refund limbo!

0 coins

Sofia Price

•8M

If you're really needing to talk to someone at the IRS about your delay, I'd recommend Claimyr https://claimyr.com - I was super skeptical at first but it actually worked. I spent DAYS trying to get through to the IRS on my own last year (like literally 30+ attempts) and always got the "call volume too high" message. I tried Claimyr as a last resort and got connected to an IRS agent in about 20 minutes. They have a demo video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. Basically they use some technology to hold your place in line and call you when they reach an agent. The IRS rep I spoke with was able to tell me exactly why my refund was delayed (identity verification issue) and what I needed to do to fix it.

0 coins

Sofia Price

•8M

They don't have special access to the IRS - they just have an automated system that keeps calling for you. Instead of you having to manually redial 50 times, their system does it until it gets through, then calls you to connect. It's not skipping the line, it's just automating the frustrating redial process. I was really skeptical too but when I finally connected with an actual IRS agent after trying on my own for days, it was worth it. They don't make any promises about resolving your issue - they just get you connected to an agent who might be able to help.

0 coins

Owen Jenkins

•8M

I have to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After posting that skeptical comment, I was so desperate to find out about my refund that I gave it a try anyway. Holy crap it actually worked! I got a call back in about 35 minutes saying they had an IRS agent on the line. The agent was able to see that my return had been flagged for manual review because my AGI was significantly different from last year (got a better job). She removed the hold right there on the phone and said my refund should process within 5-7 days. Without this service I would have been waiting who knows how long with no information. Can't believe I'm saying this but it was totally worth it.

0 coins

Lilah Brooks

•8M

Exactly! Their systems are so outdated and disconnected from each other. Sometimes the left hand doesn't know what the right is doing. I've also noticed that if you're getting your refund via direct deposit, it sometimes shows up as pending in your bank account 1-2 days before the official deposit date the IRS gives you. Another tip: if you're using a tax preparation service like TurboTax or H&R Block and chose to have your fees taken out of your refund, your money actually goes through a third-party bank first, which can add 1-2 more days to the process. That might explain some delays too.

0 coins