Called IRS for verification but nothing shows on transcripts or 'Where's My Refund' - anyone else experiencing this?
I called the IRS twice during the past week and both times was told I needed to verify my information. What's confusing is that normally this would show up when checking my refund status online, and would also be visible on my transcripts. I should also have a letter notification in the "Notice and LETTERS" section of my IRS account like most other people in similar situations. My transcripts are completely blank, nothing shows in the notices section, and the "Where's My Refund" tool still shows the same processing message it did since the day my return was accepted back in April. Is anyone else dealing with this? I already received my state refund (it was deposited to my Varo account), but federal is still hanging in limbo with zero updates. This doesn't make any sense because everyone else I've seen with verification requirements has visible notices in their account.
48 comments
LunarEclipse
I've seen this happen before. The IRS systems don't always sync up properly. Since you've already called and they confirmed you need to verify, you should follow whatever verification process they told you rather than waiting for the online systems to update. There are a few possibilities: • The IRS representative might be looking at more current information than what's showing in your online account • There could be a delay in your specific verification letter being generated • Sometimes the Where's My Refund tool doesn't update correctly when there's a verification hold • The agent might have placed the verification requirement during your call Most importantly - did they give you specific instructions on how to verify? Did they mention ID.me verification or did they say you need to send in documents? The verification process can take different forms depending on what they're trying to confirm.
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Connor O'Neill
They didn't give me any specific instructions, just that I'd "receive a letter" but it's been almost 3 weeks since the first call when they told me that. Still nothing in my mailbox and no updates online 😫
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LunarEclipse
That's frustrating. In that case, I'd recommend calling again and specifically asking what verification they need and if you can complete it without waiting for the letter. Did they give you any reference number from your previous calls?
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Connor O'Neill
No reference number. Just the standard "we'll note your account that you called" which clearly isn't helping me. So tired of this runaround 🤦♀️
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Yara Khalil
This happened to my sister last year - she waited 5 weeks for a letter that never came. Ended up having to call back multiple times to finally get someone helpful. The whole system is broken
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Keisha Brown
I was in basically the same situation a few months ago - called IRS, told I needed verification, but nothing on transcripts or WMR. After weeks of frustration, I found taxr.ai which actually explained my situation clearly when the IRS couldn't. It analyzed my transcript, explained what was happening behind the scenes, and gave me the exact steps to resolve it. Saved me so much time and stress! The tool even predicted when my refund would come through (and was eerily accurate). https://taxr.ai really recommend checking it out instead of trying to guess what's happening.
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Paolo Esposito
Sounds interesting. How exactly does it work? Does it just read your transcript or does it do more?
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Keisha Brown
It does WAY more than just read the transcript. It actually interprets all the codes, explains what each stage means in plain English, identifies if there are any issues that could delay your refund, and gives you a projected timeline. I was completely lost before using it - the IRS phone agents kept telling me different things each time I called.
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Paolo Esposito
Just tried it and WOW. This thing is incredible! It spotted an issue the IRS never even mentioned to me when I called. Already took the steps it recommended and got confirmation from the IRS that things are moving again. Seriously should be required for everyone dealing with tax issues!
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Amina Toure
is it free? sounds too good to be true tbh
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Keisha Brown
It's not free but considering the hours of frustration it saved me and how quickly it got my refund moving, it's worth every penny. I spent more on coffee while waiting on hold with the IRS lol
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Oliver Weber
After weeks of hearing nothing from the IRS and seeing no updates, I finally got through to a real person using claimyr.com. Game changer! Instead of waiting 3+ hours on hold, they got me a callback with an agent who actually fixed my exact issue. The agent confirmed there was a verification hold that wasn't showing online yet and processed it while I was on the phone. My transcript updated 2 days later and refund came a week after that. Honestly it was the best money I've ever spent to get my questions answered directly by an IRS agent instead of guessing.
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FireflyDreams
Wait is this some kind of scam? How does a third party app get you through to the IRS faster?
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Oliver Weber
Not a scam at all! They basically navigate the phone system and secure a spot in line for you. When an agent is available, you get a callback. Saved me from spending hours listening to that awful hold music 🎵 they use. Plus the agent I got was actually super helpful once I finally talked to someone.
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Natasha Kuznetsova
I've used this too - it actually works. IRS phone system is basically designed to make you give up. This gets you past that nightmare part.
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Javier Morales
do they need ur ssn or any personal info? sounds sketchy af
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Oliver Weber
No personal info needed! They just connect you with the IRS - you give your info directly to the IRS agent when they call you back, not to the service. It's just a way to avoid the ridiculous hold times.
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FireflyDreams
Just tried it and got a callback in about 45 minutes. Agent confirmed I had a verification hold and helped me complete it over the phone instead of waiting for a letter. THANK YOU for suggesting this!
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Emma Anderson
The IRS is a joke. I had the exact same thing happen - they tell you one thing on the phone but the systems show something completely different. I ended up having to visit a local office in person to get it sorted out. If that's an option for you, I'd recommend it. They were actually helpful face-to-face.
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Malik Thompson
You can also try calling the Tax Advocate Service. They sometimes have more visibility into what's happening with your return and might be able to push things along if the regular IRS channels aren't working.
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Connor O'Neill
I tried that! They wouldn't take my case because they said the regular IRS hasn't had enough time to send me the letter yet. Such a circular problem.
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Isabella Ferreira
Try calling again and say it's causing financial hardship. They're more likely to help if you emphasize that part. Worked for me when I was in a similar spot last year.
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CosmicVoyager
Heres my experience - same thing happened to me filed in Feb. I waited 6 weeks for a "letter" that never came. Turns out there was a mismatch between my W2 and what my employer reported. But instead of the IRS telling me that, they just put my return in limbo. I finaly got through to them and they fixed it over the phone. My refund came 2 weeks later with no letter ever ariving. The most ridculous part was the IRS knew exactly what the problem was but wouldn't tell me unless I waited on hold for 2 hours to speak to a human.
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Ravi Kapoor
This is EXACTLY what happened to me!!!! The IRS knew what was wrong but just...didn't tell me? Like they're playing some weird game where we have to guess the problem 🤡
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CosmicVoyager
Its insane that they expect us to be mind readers. Like if u kno theres a problem TELL US so we can fix it
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Freya Nielsen
The system is designed to be frustrating. They have the info but make it as difficult as possible to access it. It's like they WANT people to give up.
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Omar Mahmoud
Heads up - check if your employer filed your W-2 correctly. Mine had transposed two digits in my SSN which caused this exact situation. The online systems didn't update because technically my return couldn't be fully processed until the mismatch was resolved.
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Chloe Harris
omg this is happening to me right now!! exactly the same - they said i need to verify identity but nothing shows on WMR or transcripts. its been 13 weeks since i filed and still nothing. did you get any resolution??
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Connor O'Neill
Not yet 😩 I'm going to try calling again tomorrow and be more persistent about getting specific details. Will update if I learn anything useful!
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Chloe Harris
please do! im stuck in the exact same boat and its driving me crazy
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Diego Vargas
Check if maybe you have a letter sent to an old address? That happened to my buddy last year - he moved and even though he updated his address with USPS, the IRS was still sending his verification letter to his old place.
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NeonNinja
The inconsistency between what IRS reps tell you, what shows on Where's My Refund, and what appears in transcripts is THE most frustrating thing I've ever experienced. Last year I was told three completely different things by three different reps. You're definitely not alone in this.
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Anastasia Popov
fr fr the IRS needs to get their systems talking to each other 💀 left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing
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Sean Murphy
I've been staring at blank transcripts for 5 months now 🥲 Called multiple times and keep getting different answers. Latest rep told me I'm "in the errors department" whatever that means. Still waiting for this magical letter that will apparently solve everything!
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Zara Khan
I actually went through something similar and found out there was an identity verification hold, but it wasn't showing up anywhere online. I finally got through to someone at the IRS who was able to help me verify over the phone instead of waiting for a letter. My refund was processed within 2 weeks after that. Keep calling until you get someone helpful - not all agents are created equal!
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Luca Ferrari
This is key advice ☝️ Some IRS agents will go above and beyond to help, others will just read from a script. Hang up and call again if you get an unhelpful one.
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Connor O'Neill
Any tips for getting to the more helpful agents? Or is it just luck of the draw?
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Zara Khan
Try calling earlier in the day (right when they open) and be super polite but also direct about needing specific help. I've found the agents are more helpful earlier in their shift before they get burned out. Also try asking specifically "Can you look at my account and tell me exactly what verification is needed and if I can complete it over the phone?"
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Nia Davis
Im a tax preparer and see this ALL THE TIME. The IRS computer systems are ancient and don't talk to each other properly. The WMR tool is notoriously unreliable. Their internal systems can show verification requirements that don't appear on transcripts or WMR for weeks. If two separate agents told you that you need to verify, I'd take that information as accurate even if its not showing up online.
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Mateo Martinez
Question - is there any way to proactively verify identity when filing to avoid these delays? Or is this just something that happens randomly?
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Nia Davis
Great question! Creating and verifying an ID.me account BEFORE filing can help, but unfortunately the IRS sometimes still requires additional verification even if you've done this. They don't publicize their exact criteria for selecting returns for extra verification, which makes it frustrating. They're supposedly trying to reduce fraud but their methods create massive headaches for legitimate filers.
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QuantumQueen
My sister works for the IRS (not giving tax advice, just sharing what she's told me). Apparently they have a huge backlog of verification letters that haven't even been generated yet. The system flags accounts for verification, but the actual letters are coming out weeks or even months later due to staffing issues. So you might be in this weird limbo where your account is flagged internally but nothing is showing up yet externally.
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Aisha Rahman
When did you file your taxes? I'm wondering if this might be related to a certain batch of returns. I filed on March 21st and am having the exact same issue.
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Connor O'Neill
I filed on April 12th, so maybe it is a batch issue! Did you ever get any resolution?
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Aisha Rahman
Not yet, still waiting 😭 But interesting that we both filed around the same time period.
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Ethan Wilson
Try checking your account transcript instead of your return transcript. Sometimes verification issues show up there first with a specific transaction code. Look for TC 570 or TC 971 with notice codes.
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Connor O'Neill
Both transcripts are completely blank - that's what's so weird about this whole situation!
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Yuki Sato
Did you file with a tax preparer or DIY? Sometimes tax prep software has its own verification process that's separate from the IRS verification, which can cause confusion.
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