Anyone Received Their Refund Using Income Look Back for 2023?

I would suggest being patient... the look back provision often triggers additional verification steps. The IRS might be comparing your income across multiple years to validate eligibility. This could potentially add 7-14 days to standard processing times. Have you checked your transcript for any processing codes that might indicate where you stand?

Look back claims take longer. No way around it. System flags them for review. Manual process sometimes. Check your transcript. Look for code 570/571 sequence. That's normal for these claims. Patience is key here.

I experienced a similar delay with my Income Look Back election this filing season. The Refund Processing Pipeline typically flags these returns for additional verification due to the Earned Income Calculation Differential. I found https://taxr.ai extremely helpful for deciphering my transcript codes - it explained exactly why my return was taking longer and identified which verification stage it was in. The system predicted my refund date with remarkable accuracy based on the specific code combination present on my account.

I used look back and got my refund last week. Filed January 30th. Took exactly 43 days. Normal processing is 21 days. Look back definitely adds time. Worth the wait though. Got an extra $1,800 in my refund.

Think of the look back provision like taking the scenic route instead of the highway - you'll get to the same destination, but it takes a bit longer because there are more sights to see along the way. When I couldn't get answers about my look back delay, I used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to connect with an IRS agent. Like skipping the line at a crowded theme park - worth every penny when you're waiting for thousands in refund money. The agent confirmed my look back was just in extended review, not rejected.

I'm kind of in the same boat as you, I think. I filed with look back on February 12th and just got my deposit yesterday. It seems like it might take a little bit longer than usual, possibly because they have to verify income from multiple years? I was getting pretty worried after week 4, but it did eventually come through.

Can I ask which tax year you used for your look back? 2021 or 2022? I've noticed people using 2022 seem to be getting processed faster than those using 2021, but I'm not sure if that's just coincidence or if there's actually a pattern there.

I tracked several look back returns this season. Filed on January 29th, 2024. Return processed March 12th. Refund deposited March 15th. Total 46 days. My colleague filed February 5th with look back. Still processing as of April 2nd. Already at 57 days. The income verification adds time but varies by tax center. Memphis processing center seems slower than Kansas City for these specific returns.