Anyone else still waiting on their 2023 tax refund? Day 41 and counting...

I'm pulling my hair out waiting for our tax refund. We're on day 41 since filing and still nothing in our bank account. My wife and I file jointly and we claimed the child tax credit for our two boys (ages 4 and 6) plus the residential clean energy credit for our new solar panels we installed last summer. The IRS website just says they received our return on January 23rd but nothing else - no status updates, no timeline, no explanation. I checked the "Where's My Refund" tool like 5 times a day and it's always the same useless message. Called the IRS twice but couldn't get through to a human after waiting for almost an hour each time. Anyone else in the same boat or have any suggestions? Our refund is around $7,800 and we were really counting on it to fix our car that's been making a weird noise.

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18 comments

Ravi Choudhury

•8M

Tax professional here - this is unfortunately common during peak filing season. The IRS is likely processing your return but several factors can extend processing times beyond the standard 21 days. Returns claiming the Child Tax Credit and energy credits often get flagged for additional review, not because there's anything wrong, but as part of standard verification procedures. The "Where's My Refund" tool typically shows three stages: Return Received, Refund Approved, and Refund Sent. Since you're still at the first stage after 41 days, I recommend checking your tax transcript through IRS.gov if you haven't already. This often contains more detailed processing codes that might explain the delay. Also, verify that your banking information was entered correctly on your return if you selected direct deposit. One wrong digit can result in a paper check being issued instead, which adds several weeks to the process.

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Ravi Choudhury

•8M

Calling the IRS generally won't speed up processing, and representatives often can't provide more information than what's available online. However, if you've waited more than 8 weeks, they might be able to research your specific case more thoroughly. You can access your tax transcript online at IRS.gov by creating an account through their "Get Transcript" tool. You'll need to verify your identity with personal and financial information. The "Account Transcript" for 2023 is what you want to look for - it will show all transactions related to your tax account including processing codes that may indicate why there's a delay.

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Freya Johansen

•8M

I was in the exact same situation last year with my solar panel credit and child tax credits for my twins. Filed in February and kept getting the "still processing" message for nearly 7 weeks. What finally helped me was using https://taxr.ai to analyze my tax transcript. I had no idea I could even access my transcript until someone suggested it! The tool explained all those weird IRS codes on my transcript and showed me exactly why my refund was delayed (turns out there was a review flag on our clean energy credit). Instead of guessing, I could actually see what was happening behind the scenes. For anyone stuck waiting, definitely worth checking your transcript and having it analyzed - saved me tons of anxiety knowing what was actually going on.

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Freya Johansen

•8M

It absolutely works! They use bank-level encryption and don't store your actual transcript data after analysis. I was skeptical too but it's just analyzing the codes and explaining them in plain English - finally understanding those cryptic codes made a huge difference for my peace of mind. You get your transcript directly from the IRS website - go to IRS.gov, search for "Get Transcript Online" and create an account if you don't have one. You'll need to verify your identity with some financial info, then download your 2023 Account Transcript. That's what you can analyze to see what's actually happening with your return.

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Omar Fawzi

•8M

Just wanted to update - I checked out taxr.ai after my initial skepticism and wow, it actually helped! I've been waiting 45 days for my refund with no updates. Got my transcript (which was confusing as hell) and the tool broke down exactly what was happening - turns out my return was flagged for manual review because of my home office deduction, not the child credits like I assumed. It showed me the exact date the review started and even estimated when it should be completed based on current IRS processing times. Super helpful to know it's just standard procedure and not something wrong with my return. Definitely recommend for anyone stuck in limbo with the IRS!

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Diego Mendoza

•8M

I was stuck in refund hell for almost 60 days last year. What finally worked was using https://claimyr.com to get through to an actual human at the IRS. Their system basically waits on hold for you and calls when a real person picks up. Check out how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was able to speak with someone who actually explained that my return had been flagged for identity verification (something the "Where's My Refund" tool never showed). Once I verified my identity, my refund was processed within 10 days. Without that call I might still be waiting! Sometimes you really need to talk to a real person to get things moving.

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Diego Mendoza

•8M

They use a system that navigates the IRS phone tree and waits on hold so you don't have to. When a real agent answers, you get a call connecting you directly to that agent. Yes, you could call yourself, but I tried that 4 times and gave up after being on hold for 2+ hours each time without ever reaching anyone. They use technology that maintains your place in the queue without you having to stay on the phone. I was skeptical too, but when I was desperate to find out why my refund was delayed for 2 months, it was worth it. They're not calling on your behalf - they're just handling the hold time, and then you speak directly with the IRS agent yourself. It's basically like having someone wait in a physical line for you.

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StellarSurfer

•8M

I have to eat crow here. After my skeptical comment I decided to try Claimyr since I've been waiting 52 days for my refund with zero updates. Got a call back in about 45 minutes and spoke to an actual IRS agent! Turns out my return was stuck because they couldn't verify my AGI from last year (I moved and filed from a different state). The agent was able to verify my identity over the phone and manually release my return from the verification department. She said my refund should be direct deposited within 7-10 days now. I would have NEVER known this just from the "Where's My Refund" tool which just kept saying "still processing." Sometimes you really do need to talk to a human being. Definitely worth it when you're waiting on thousands of dollars!

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