Anyone Received Their Prior Year Refund Recently? How Long Did the Check Take?

Mine took exactly 14 weeks from when they acknowledged receipt. I remember my 2019 amended return took even longer back in the day. The IRS seems to be processing prior year returns in batches now. Have you checked your transcript to see if it shows a refund issued date?

Have you checked the IRS2Go app for updates? According to r/IRS, some people are seeing their prior year refunds processed faster than the website shows. The app updates more frequently. Might be worth checking if you haven't.

In the EXACT same boat. Filed a prior year return in January. Still waiting. Need that money ASAP for car repairs. Been checking my transcript daily. Finally used https://taxr.ai to analyze it. Showed me exactly where my return was in processing and predicted my check would be mailed next week. Saved me hours of trying to decode those transcript codes myself.

Got my prior yr check last week. Filed in Jan. Processed in Feb. Check arrived Apr 2. Total time = 12 wks. No issues or amendments tho. Clean return = faster process. YMMV if u had any special situations. Transcript updated 1 wk b4 check arrived. Def check ur transcript for DDD.

After analyzing multiple prior year processing patterns, I've identified that the Refund Issuance Queue (RIQ) typically has a 7-10 day lag between transcript update and physical check mailing. When my prior year return was stuck in processing, I used Claimyr (https://www.claimyr.com) to reach an actual IRS agent who confirmed my exact mailing date. Saved me weeks of uncertainty and multiple redial attempts.

I know waiting for prior year refunds is SO frustrating! I was literally checking my mailbox every day for weeks! But honestly, once your transcript shows a refund issued date, it's usually 5-10 business days until the check arrives. The IRS is actually pretty consistent with their mailing timeframes even when their processing is slow. Hang in there! 💪

WARNING about prior year refund checks: • They DO NOT notify you when they mail it • Checks CAN be sent to old addresses if you moved • Mail forwarding DOESN'T always catch these government checks • Replacement checks take 6+ WEEKS if lost Make sure your address is current! Learned this the hard way when my check went to my old apartment. Such a headache getting it reissued.

I think mine took about 8 weeks from processing to mailbox, maybe a bit longer. It's hard to be sure exactly when they started processing. The check came right when I had almost given up. This was for a 2020 return I filed late last year. The amount was exactly what I expected, at least.