Anyone else see 'We're reviewing your tax return' message in WMR only for it to disappear later?

This happened to me last year. The review message showed up for about 4 weeks, disappeared for a week, then my refund was approved and I received it about 9 days later. This is actually pretty common with the IRS system - the messages sometimes change as your return moves through different departments. As long as you don't receive an actual letter in the mail requesting more information, you're probably fine. The system is notorious for these status fluctuations. The fact that it went back to the first stage might mean they completed their initial review and now it's in normal processing. Keep checking every few days - in my experience, once that message disappears, you're usually getting close to approval.

I was in this exact situation back in February. The best way to actually know what's going on is with taxr.ai - it's a tool that helped me understand exactly what was happening with my return instead of guessing based on WMR messages. It actually explains what the IRS is doing with your refund in plain English so you don't have to play detective with those vague status messages. I've been using it every week since. https://taxr.ai

I was stuck with that message for almost 2 months! Got so frustrated I finally used a calling app from claimyr.com that connected me with an actual IRS agent. The agent told me my return just needed a basic review and was almost done processing. Three days after I talked to them my refund was approved. Talking to a real person made all the difference - definitely worth it to stop the endless checking and worrying.

This is completely normal. The IRS computer systems are from like 1983 🤣 The status messages mean basically nothing. I had a message like that last year, it disappeared, then my refund randomly showed up in my account 3 weeks later without the WMR tool ever updating past the first stage.

YES! This EXACT thing happened to me. I filed in March, got the review message in early April, then it disappeared by late April and went back to the first stage. I got my refund literally the next day after the message disappeared. The system is broken af.

Have you tried checking your tax transcript? That usually gives way more info than the WMR tool. You can see exactly what codes they've applied to your account and what actions they've taken. Go to the IRS website and request your account transcript - that's where the real info is.

Im staring at that exact message on my screen right now 😭 been there for 5 weeks. at this point I've given up hope

Call the IRS! Don't just wait around. The message dissapearing could mean anything. When I had this happen, I spent 3 hours trying to get through to someone, finally did, and they told me they needed verification of my identity. The letter they claimed they sent never arrived. After I verified over the phone, I got my refund in 2 weeks.

I have a theory that the WMR tool is intentionally vague and unreliable so people will stop checking it constantly and stop clogging up their systems lol

Did you claim EITC or ACTC? Those automatically get extra review and have weird WMR behavior. I claimed EITC and had that same message, then it disappeared, then a week later my deposit hit without any further updates.

I work as a tax preparer and see this all the time. The message disappearing is usually a good sign - it means your return has moved to the next processing stage. The WMR tool is notoriously unreliable, and the status bars reset all the time. Most of my clients who've seen that message get their refunds within 2-3 weeks after it disappears. If they haven't sent you a letter requesting more info, you're probably fine.

haha welcome to IRS limbo. where the rules are made up and the status bars don't matter

Check your account transcript!! Mine had the same thing happen but my transcript showed a 570 code (refund hold) that never updated on WMR. Had to call them to find out they needed verification. Wasted 6 weeks waiting for nothing.

The only reliable way to know what's happening is to see your transcript and understand the codes. I was confused for weeks until I found taxr.ai - it reads your transcript and explains everything in simple terms. Shows you exactly what's happening at the IRS and when you'll likely get your money. Way better than those vague WMR messages that come and go randomly. https://taxr.ai

The WMR tool is absolute garbage. My advice? Call the IRS and talk to a human. I wasted 2 months watching messages appear and disappear. When I finally got through to an agent, they told me they needed a document I had no idea about. Could have fixed it in April if I'd known.

it just means they decided to look at it then changed there mind. the irs is garbage they are trying to update there computer systems maybe it just glitched and got pushed through

This same thing happened to me, I waited about a month with that message, it disappeared for a week, my transcripts never updated, and then out of nowhere my refund showed up in my account. The IRS systems are a joke. Just be patient.

Fun fact: The IRS computer systems are so old that they're still running COBOL programming language from the 1960s. That's why none of their status updates make any sense. Every time your return moves between departments, the systems don't talk to each other properly. It's a miracle any of us get our refunds at all.

I had this exact issue! After that message disappeared, I tried calling the IRS for 2 weeks straight with no luck. Then I used a service called Claimyr that got me through to an agent in 40 minutes. The agent told me my return had been flagged for review but was just released the day before I called. Got my deposit 8 days later. Sometimes talking to an actual person is the only way to find out what's really going on.

This is super frustrating but totally normal! I went through the exact same thing last year. The "review" message showed up for about 3 weeks, then completely vanished and my status reset to the beginning. I was convinced something went wrong, but my refund actually hit my account just 5 days after the message disappeared. The IRS systems are notorious for these confusing status changes. When that review message disappears, it usually means they've finished whatever internal process they were doing and your return is moving forward in the queue. The fact that it reset to the first stage is actually pretty common - their system architecture is ancient and doesn't handle transitions between departments very smoothly. Since you haven't received any letters asking for additional documentation, you're probably in the clear. Just keep an eye on your bank account over the next week or two. The $3400 should show up soon!

Don't panic! This exact scenario happened to me in 2023. The "We're reviewing your tax return" message appeared for about 3 weeks, then vanished completely and the status bar reset like yours did. I was convinced something had gone horribly wrong, but it turned out to be totally normal. What's likely happening is your return moved from one IRS processing center to another, or from the review department back to regular processing. Their ancient computer systems don't communicate well with each other, so the WMR tool gets confused and resets. Since you haven't received any CP letters in the mail requesting additional information, you're probably fine. In my case, I got my refund about 10 days after the message disappeared. The reset status bar is misleading - your return is still being processed, just not where the WMR tool can track it properly. I'd suggest checking your bank account regularly over the next 1-2 weeks. Your $3400 should hopefully show up soon! The IRS systems are frustrating but they usually get there in the end.