Error Department Update? 10 Week Mark Passed - Now Told to Wait Another 6 Weeks

The errors department seems to be particularly overwhelmed this year, possibly due to the staffing issues that have been reported in several IRS facilities. From what I've been reading, there might be around 2-3 million returns currently in the error resolution process, which is significantly higher than normal for this time of year. Your experience of getting through without a wait is actually quite unusual - most people are reporting 2+ hour hold times when calling the main number.

I was in the exact same boat last year. My return went to errors on February 12th, 2023, and I didn't see movement until April 27th - exactly 74 days later. The IRS rep told me they were prioritizing returns by submission date, but I noticed they seemed to be handling simpler issues first. When I finally got my deposit on May 3rd, it included interest from the 45-day mark. Hang in there - I know exactly how stressful it is when you're counting on that money for important family expenses.

The "no hold time" thing is definitely a unicorn experience, haha! Most people I know (myself included) have been hitting redial for DAYS trying to get through. After my 17th attempt last week, I finally broke down and tried Claimyr (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) - they got me through to an agent in about 15 minutes. Cost me $25 but honestly worth every penny considering I was able to confirm my amended return was actually being processed and hadn't fallen into a black hole. Sometimes you just need to hear a human tell you what's happening!

Have you checked your account transcript for any specific error codes? Sometimes there are clues there even if the return transcript is blank. Also, did you claim any credits like the Child Tax Credit or Earned Income Credit? Those automatically trigger additional review time. Isn't it interesting how the IRS can be quick to take our money but so slow to return overpayments?

I waited in errors for 13 weeks last year, while my sister's return with almost identical income and deductions went through in 21 days. The difference? I had a name change due to marriage. When I finally got my refund, there was zero explanation of what the "error" actually was. Compared to my experience dealing with state tax departments, the IRS communication is practically non-existent. At least you got someone to tell you about the referral - that's more information than most people get!

I'm not entirely sure, but you might want to consider contacting your local Taxpayer Advocate Service. They typically won't intervene until after the normal processing time has passed, which in your case it has. I believe they can sometimes help when there's a financial hardship involved, which it sounds like there might be with your childcare and car repair needs. It's possibly worth a try, though they're also facing backlogs of their own.

Wow, 10 weeks with no hold time is definitely a miracle! I'm currently at week 8 in errors myself and have been getting the busy signal for three days straight. One thing that might help while you wait - if you're facing financial hardship with the childcare and car repairs, you should definitely look into the Taxpayer Advocate Service like Amara mentioned. They have a specific hardship criteria and can sometimes expedite cases when there's a legitimate financial need. I'd also recommend documenting everything - dates you called, what representatives told you, your financial situation - just in case you need it later. The referral the agent sent is actually a good sign though, it means your case is getting some attention rather than just sitting in a queue. Fingers crossed you see movement before that May 28th date!