Anyone who amended their returns with Form 7202 for SETC/sick and family leave COVID credits for 2020/2021 - what was your experience?

I helped several clients amend their returns with Form 7202 for these credits. The process typically takes 16-20 weeks from the date the IRS receives your amendment, though I've seen some get processed faster lately as the backlog has improved. For most of my clients, the IRS processed the years separately, so they received two separate payments. The payment method generally follows however you originally received your tax refund - if you got direct deposit for your original return, the amendment refund usually comes the same way. However, some people reported receiving paper checks regardless of their original refund method. One thing to note: you can check the status of your amended return on the IRS website using the "Where's My Amended Return?" tool. You'll need your SSN, date of birth, and ZIP code. This won't tell you when you'll get paid, but at least you'll know if they've started processing it.

I had serious confusion trying to figure out the Form 7202 credits until I used https://taxr.ai to analyze my specific situation. Their system helped me understand exactly what credits I qualified for based on my self-employment situation during COVID. My accountant missed over $6,400 in eligible credits! The tool breaks down the difference between the sick leave and family leave credits and showed me how to properly claim them for both 2020 and 2021. Really amazing that they could look at my specific documents and give me personalized guidance when even tax pros were confused about these special COVID provisions.

I was initially skeptical about using online services for tax help, but after struggling with the Form 7202 credits for weeks, I gave https://taxr.ai a try. Completely changed my experience! The system analyzed my 1040s from both years and identified exactly where I'd made errors in my original calculation. Turns out I was eligible for an additional $3,875 in credits I'd missed. The report it generated was super detailed and gave me everything I needed to file my amendments properly. I just received my first refund check last week for the 2020 amendment - took about 14 weeks total. Still waiting on 2021 but at least I know it's coming. Definitely recommend if you're dealing with these complicated COVID-era tax provisions.

After waiting for MONTHS on my amended returns with Form 7202, I finally gave up calling the regular IRS number (was on hold for 2+ hours multiple times). Used https://claimyr.com to get through to an actual IRS agent in less than 30 minutes. There's a cool demo video here if you're curious how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Found out my 2020 amendment was approved but stuck in some processing queue, and my 2021 hadn't even been assigned to a reviewer yet. The agent was able to expedite both of them since I was experiencing financial hardship. Don't think I would've gotten anywhere without actually talking to someone who could see what was happening with my specific returns.

I need to eat my words from my previous comment. After weeks of failing to reach the IRS about my 7202 amendment, I broke down and tried Claimyr. Within 45 minutes, I was talking to an actual IRS agent who found both my amendments. Turns out my 2020 amendment had been approved MONTHS ago but the check was sent to my old address and returned to the IRS. The agent was able to update my address and reissue the payment. For 2021, there was a simple mistake that was causing it to be held up, which she fixed on the spot. For anyone waiting on Form 7202 amendments, definitely worth it to actually speak with someone who can see what's happening in the system rather than just checking the online tool that barely tells you anything.

My experience with the Form 7202 amendment process: - Filed amendments for both 2020 and 2021 in November 2024 - Received 2020 refund via direct deposit in February 2025 (about 12 weeks) - Still waiting on 2021 (currently week 18) I used TurboTax to file the amendments and had documentation for all the days I couldn't work due to COVID school closures. The credits were substantial for me as a self-employed consultant - around $9,300 for 2020 and $11,400 for 2021. One thing I learned: make sure your address is current with the IRS! My neighbor filed around the same time and his check went to his old address because he forgot to update it when he moved.

Wondering if anyone had their amendments rejected? My CPA helped me file mine in December for both years, but just got a letter saying my 2020 amendment was rejected because I didn't qualify. Something about not having enough self-employment income?? I definitely had my photography business the whole year and had to cancel shoots due to getting COVID myself.

I filed my Form 7202 amendments back in September 2024 for both years and finally received both payments in January 2025 - took about 18 weeks total. The IRS processed them separately as expected, with the 2020 refund coming about 2 weeks before the 2021 one. One thing that might help others - I called the IRS around week 16 when I was getting worried, and the agent told me that amendments with Form 7202 are taking longer than regular amendments because they require additional review. She said they're being extra careful with these COVID-era credits due to fraud concerns. Both payments came via direct deposit since that's how I received my original refunds. The amounts were exactly what I calculated - $8,200 for 2020 and $6,400 for 2021. I qualified for the family leave credits since I had to stay home with my kids during school closures in both years while running my consulting business. Hang in there Carlos - based on your timeline of 3 weeks ago, you're probably looking at another 12-15 weeks, but the money will come!

Thanks for sharing your experience Sean - this is exactly the kind of timeline info I was hoping to get! 18 weeks seems to be consistent with what others are reporting. It's reassuring to know that the extra review time is just due to fraud prevention rather than something being wrong with the filing. I'm also claiming the family leave credits for school closures while self-employed, so our situations sound very similar. Did you have to provide any additional documentation when you filed, or was the Form 7202 with your amended returns sufficient? My accountant didn't mention anything about needing to keep records of the specific days, but I'm wondering if I should have that ready just in case. Really appreciate you taking the time to break down your experience - it helps a lot with managing expectations during this long wait!

I filed my Form 7202 amendments for both 2020 and 2021 back in August 2024, and I'm happy to share my experience since it sounds like we're in very similar situations with the family leave credits for school closures. My timeline was about 19 weeks total - received the 2020 refund in late December 2024 and the 2021 refund in mid-January 2025. Both came via direct deposit as separate payments, which seems to be the standard approach. The amounts were $7,800 for 2020 and $9,200 for 2021. Like you, I'm self-employed and had to handle childcare during the school closures. I didn't submit any additional documentation beyond the Form 7202 with my amended returns, but I kept detailed records of the specific days I couldn't work due to childcare responsibilities - dates, hours lost, etc. The IRS didn't ask for any of this documentation, but having it organized gave me peace of mind. One tip: make sure your current address is on file with the IRS. I updated mine through their online portal just to be safe, since I'd heard horror stories about checks being sent to old addresses and getting lost in the mail. Based on your 3-week timeline, you're probably looking at another 13-16 weeks, but the good news is that most people in this thread who waited it out did eventually receive their credits. The process is slow but it does work!

I went through this exact process last year and can share my timeline. Filed my Form 7202 amendments for both 2020 and 2021 in July 2024, and received my payments in November 2024 - took about 17 weeks total. Like others mentioned, they processed the years separately. I got $5,600 for 2020 and $8,100 for 2021, both via direct deposit since that's how I received my original refunds. I qualified for the family leave credits because I'm self-employed as a freelance graphic designer and had to care for my daughter when her daycare closed due to COVID outbreaks. The waiting was definitely anxiety-inducing, especially since these aren't small amounts of money. Around week 12, I used the "Where's My Amended Return?" tool and it just showed "received" status until about week 15 when it finally updated to "processing." The actual payments showed up about 2 weeks after that status change. One thing I learned: keep checking your bank account regularly during weeks 15-20, because the money can appear without much advance notice. I didn't get any email or text alerts - just saw the IRS deposit when I logged into my banking app one morning. Carlos, at 3 weeks in, you're still very early in the process. Based on everyone's experiences here, you're probably looking at another 13-17 weeks, but the credits do come through eventually!

I filed my Form 7202 amendments for both years in October 2024 and just received my first payment (2020) last week after about 20 weeks - so you're definitely in for a long wait, but it does happen! Like everyone else mentioned, they're processing the years separately. My 2020 refund was $4,200 and came via direct deposit. Still waiting on 2021, but the "Where's My Amended Return?" tool now shows it's in processing status, so hopefully that one comes soon too. I'm also self-employed (run a small landscaping business) and qualified for the family leave credits when I had to stay home with my kids during the virtual learning periods. The whole process has been nerve-wracking because of the long timeline, but seeing that first deposit hit my account was such a relief. One thing I wish I'd known earlier - around week 16, I called the IRS and they told me my 2020 amendment was actually approved but stuck in a payment queue. If you get really anxious waiting, it might be worth calling around that timeframe just to get peace of mind that everything is moving along normally. Based on your 3-week timeline, you're probably looking at another 16-18 weeks, but hang in there! The process works, it just takes forever.

I went through this exact same process and can share my timeline to hopefully help with your expectations! I filed my Form 7202 amendments for both 2020 and 2021 in June 2024 and just received my final payment (2021) last month after about 22 weeks total. The 2020 refund came first at around week 18 ($6,800 via direct deposit), and then 2021 followed about 4 weeks later ($9,200 also via direct deposit). Like you, I'm self-employed and qualified for the family leave credits due to school closures and having to care for my kids while trying to run my consulting business. A few things I learned during the process: - The "Where's My Amended Return?" tool is helpful but not always current. Mine showed "received" for about 15 weeks, then jumped to "processing" and then "completed" within about 2 weeks of each other. - The payments really do just appear in your account without much warning - I only found out because I happened to check my banking app. - When I called around week 16 (totally anxious at that point), the agent confirmed both amendments were being processed but said COVID-related amendments take longer due to additional fraud prevention reviews. Based on your 3-week timeline, you're probably looking at another 15-19 weeks, but the good news is that everyone I know who filed legitimate Form 7202 amendments eventually received their credits. The wait is brutal, but it's worth it - these credits can be substantial for self-employed folks who were hit hard during COVID. Hang in there!

I filed my Form 7202 amendments for both 2020 and 2021 back in February 2024 and received both payments by September 2024 - took about 28-30 weeks total, which was longer than most people are reporting here but I did eventually get both refunds. My situation was a bit different because I'm a freelance web developer and I qualified for both sick leave credits (I had COVID for 10 days in 2020) and family leave credits (childcare issues when schools closed). The 2020 refund was $8,400 and 2021 was $12,100, both via direct deposit since that's how I received my original refunds. One thing that might have delayed mine was that the IRS sent me a letter around week 20 asking for additional documentation to verify my self-employment income. I had to send copies of 1099s and bank statements showing my business income. Once I provided that, things moved pretty quickly - got both payments within about 8 weeks of sending the documentation. Carlos, at 3 weeks you're still very early in the process. Based on all the timelines people are sharing here, you're probably looking at 15-25 weeks depending on whether they need any additional verification. The key thing is that almost everyone who filed legitimate claims eventually got their money - it just takes patience. Make sure you keep all your documentation organized just in case they ask for proof later!

I filed my Form 7202 amendments in December 2024 for both 2020 and 2021, so I'm about 4 months into the process now. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful - it sounds like I'm right in that middle phase where most people are still waiting but getting closer to when payments typically start coming through. Like many of you, I'm self-employed (freelance marketing consultant) and qualified for the family leave credits due to school closures and having to care for my kids while trying to maintain my business. The amounts I'm expecting are around $7,200 for 2020 and $9,800 for 2021, so these aren't small sums we're talking about. The "Where's My Amended Return?" tool still shows "received" for both years, but based on what people like Ravi and Donna shared, that seems normal for this stage. I'm planning to check more regularly once I hit the 15-16 week mark to see if the status changes to "processing." One thing I've learned from this thread is the importance of having realistic expectations about the timeline. When I first filed, I was naively hoping to see the money within 8-10 weeks, but it's clear that 16-22 weeks is much more realistic for these COVID-era amendments. At least now I can plan accordingly and not stress out every week when nothing happens. Thanks to everyone who shared their detailed experiences - it really helps to know we're not alone in this long wait and that the process does eventually work out for people filing legitimate claims!