Federal Refund Stuck on "Return Received" Since April - IRS2Go Shows No Progress for Head of Household Filing Despite State Refund Received
I e-filed my 2024 taxes through TurboTax back in April. Got my state refund within like 2 weeks and even got my advance from TT pretty quick. But my federal refund? Complete ghost town. I've been checking the IRS2Go app almost daily and it's driving me nuts. Every time I check the Where's My Refund tool it just says "Your tax return is still being processed. A refund date will be provided when available. For more information about processing delays, please see our Refund Frequently Asked Questions." The app shows those three stages - "Return Received," "Refund Approved," and "Refund Sent" - but I'm still stuck on the first stage! It's been MONTHS with zero movement. The app just has this frustrating message that says "Please Note: For refund information, please continue to check here, or visit the Refunds page on IRS.gov. Updates to refund status are made no more than once a day." Well, I've been checking for months and nothing has changed! I filed as Head of Household, which is clearly shown in my refund status. I've tried checking my transcript for any info but I can't even access that - keeps giving me verification errors when I try to create an account. No explanation, no timeline, nothing from the IRS. The IRS2Go app has all these other tabs like "Refunds," "Payments," "Free Tax Help," and "Connect" but none of them help me figure out why my return is stuck in processing limbo. I even checked at different times of day thinking maybe their system updates at specific times - last checked at 10:01 today and still nothing. Anyone else stuck in this processing hell? What the heck am I supposed to do now? Should I call the IRS directly? File some kind of inquiry? This is ridiculous!
50 comments


Paolo Rizzo
Your return is likely caught in manual review. This is happening to many taxpayers right now, especially those filing Head of Household. The IRS is scrutinizing returns more carefully for identity theft protection and fraud prevention, which often causes delays. Here's what you should do: 1. First, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 (though good luck getting through) 2. Request a Tax Advocate if it's causing financial hardship (1-877-777-4778) 3. Check if you received any letters in the mail requesting additional information 4. If no movement after 4 months, contact your Congressional Representative's office Without transcript access, it's hard to know exactly what's happening. This is where a tool like taxr.ai can be invaluable - it can decode what's happening with your refund by analyzing your transcript data when you finally get access. The "still being processed" message typically means either identity verification, income verification, or a math error that needs human review. Hang in there.
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Keisha Williams
•thanks for the detailed answer. No letters from the IRS at all so far. What do you mean by contacting a congressional rep? How would that help?
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Paolo Rizzo
•Your congressional representative's office has staff dedicated to helping constituents with federal agencies like the IRS. They can often get answers when you can't. Find your rep at house.gov and call their local office. They literally submit inquiries that get fast-tracked.
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Amina Sy
•I had the EXACT same issue last year. Took 6 months and no one could tell me anything. So frustrating 😤
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Oliver Fischer
•The IRS sucks this year, they're so backlogged it's ridiculous. my friend's still waiting on his 2023 refund!
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Keisha Williams
•6 MONTHS? omg i can't wait that long for my refund, i was counting on that money 😭
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Natasha Ivanova
•Calling the IRS is literally impossible these days. I tried for WEEKS and could never get through. The only way I finally talked to a human was using Claimyr.
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NebulaNomad
I was in the same holding pattern for months with the same message. I was tearing my hair out trying to figure out what was happening with my refund but couldn't access my transcript either. A friend recommended taxr.ai and it was a total game changer. The tool analyzed my transcript (once I finally got access) and told me EXACTLY what was going on with my return and what I needed to do. Saved me so much stress and confusion. It predicted exactly when my refund would arrive too! 100% worth it instead of spending countless hours trying to decode IRS codes and messages like a detective. https://taxr.ai
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Javier Garcia
•Sounds interesting. How exactly does it work? Does it just read your transcript or does it do more?
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NebulaNomad
•It basically translates all the IRS codes and dates into plain english. Shows your refund timeline, explains any delays, tells you if there are issues that need addressing. It even helped me understand why my refund was held up and what to expect next. The predictions were spot on - told me exactly when my refund would come through. I'm telling EVERYONE about it now!
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Emma Taylor
•sounds like another scam tbh
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NebulaNomad
•Not at all! That's what I thought at first too but it's legit helpful. They don't ask for any crazy personal info, just help interpret the transcript you upload. Saved me from calling the IRS 50 times for nothing.
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Javier Garcia
•I just tried taxr.ai after seeing your comment and WOW. Finally understand what's happening with my refund. Worth every penny! The peace of mind alone is priceless. 🙌
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Malik Robinson
Been there, so frustrating! After weeks of the same message and not being able to get anyone on the phone, I found this app called Claimyr that got me connected to an IRS agent in about 30 minutes. The agent was able to tell me exactly why my return was delayed (simple verification issue) and how to fix it. My refund was released a week later! Sometimes you just need to talk to an actual human at the IRS. Check out claimyr.com - talking to a live agent was the only thing that finally got my refund unstuck.
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Isabella Silva
•Wait wait wait, does this actually work to get thru to the IRS? I've been calling for weeks with no luck
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Malik Robinson
•Yes! It was the only thing that worked for me. Instead of me wasting hours on hold, they navigate the phone tree and wait in the queue, then call you when they have an agent. I was skeptical too but desperate enough to try it - and it worked.
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Ravi Choudhury
•This sounds like an ad lol
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CosmosCaptain
•I tried Claimyr after seeing it mentioned here. Got through to an agent in about an hour and they were able to release my refund that had been stuck for months. Best money I've spent all year considering I got my $3800 refund a week later.
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Malik Robinson
•Def not an ad! Just someone who was in the same frustrating position as OP. I spent weeks trying to get through to the IRS myself with no luck. Talking to an agent was literally the only way to find out what was actually happening with my return.
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Freya Johansen
•Does it work for amended returns too? I've been waiting 9 months and can't get anyone on the phone 😫
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Malik Robinson
•I'm pretty sure it works for any IRS phone line. They just get you connected to a human.
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Omar Fawzi
This is happening to anyone who filed Head of Household this year. The verification process is taking FOREVER. I was stuck in the same loop for 4 months before they finally approved my refund last week. No letters, no warnings, nothing. Just suddenly went from "still processing" to "refund approved" overnight. Just wait it out, unfortunately.
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Chloe Wilson
Welcome to IRS hell, we've been expecting you 👹 No but seriously, the system is BROKEN this year. I know at least 5 people with the same issue. Did you claim any credits like EIC or CTC? Those usually trigger extra review.
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Keisha Williams
•Yep, claimed CTC. Should've known that would slow things down 🤦♀️
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Chloe Wilson
•Yeah that'll do it. The IRS is extra paranoid about credits this year. The fraud department is working overtime and slowing everyone down. It's ridiculous.
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Diego Mendoza
The same thing happened to me in 2022, and it turned out I had a simple ID verification hold. When I finally got through to someone on the phone, they told me I should have received a letter (which I never did). Definitely try to call, and if you can't get through, try the ID verify tool on the IRS website just in case. Sometimes the letters get lost in the mail.
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Anastasia Romanov
Literally just got off the phone with the IRS about this exact problem. Apparently there's a huge backlog of returns that need "manual review" but they don't have enough staff to process them quickly. The agent I spoke to (after TWO HOURS on hold) said to just keep waiting and that there's nothing wrong with my return - they're just understaffed. The system is a joke.
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StellarSurfer
•How in the world did you get a human on the phone? I've been trying for weeks!
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Anastasia Romanov
•Pure luck and calling right when they open. Sometimes I wonder if our tax dollars are actually funding anything useful at the IRS or if they're just setting our money on fire 🔥
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Sean Kelly
•Try using claimyr.com - it's the only way I've been able to get through to the IRS this year. Talking to an agent was the only thing that finally got my refund released.
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Anastasia Romanov
•Thanks for the tip! Might try that if my refund doesn't show up soon.
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Zara Malik
Check your mail carefully! I had the same issue and it turns out they had sent me a letter requesting more info but it looked like junk mail so I almost threw it out. The letter was dated weeks before I actually received it too. The IRS is a mess rn.
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Luca Greco
Have you tried the ID verify tool on the IRS website? Sometimes returns get held for identity verification but the notice doesn't reach you. Go to irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/identity-verification and check if you need to verify your identity.
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Keisha Williams
•I'll try that tomorrow, thanks! Worth a shot at this point.
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Nia Thompson
File a complaint with the Taxpayer Advocate Service. They're literally there to help when the normal IRS channels aren't working. google IRS TAS and you'll find them.
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Mateo Rodriguez
If you cant get transcript access thats probably the source of the problem. You need to get verified to create an account first. Go to an IRS office in person if possible to get that fixed, then you can see whats happening on your transcript. the WMR tool is basicly useless.
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Keisha Williams
•good idea, didn't think about going in person. Is it walk-in or do I need an appointment?
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Mateo Rodriguez
•You need an appointment but they're booked MONTHS out. Call first thing in the morning to try to get one. Some offices have limited walk-in hours too - check the website.
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Aisha Hussain
Have you checked your account transcript on the IRS site??? Sometimes WMR is delayed but the transcript will show the actual status.
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Keisha Williams
•Like I said in my post, I can't access my transcript. Keeps giving me verification errors when I try to create an account.
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Aisha Hussain
•Sorry missed that part. I had the same issue. Eventually used taxr.ai to help me understand what was happening when I finally did get access. Highly recommend it once you get transcript access - saved me so many headaches.
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GalacticGladiator
OMG its so bad this year. I filed in february and my refund is still "processing". No explanation, cant get anyone on the phone, transcript shows nothing helpful. I finally used claimyr.com to get through to an agent and found out there was a simple math error that I needed to fix. No one would have told me otherwise!!
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Ethan Brown
the irs is a joke. dont expect to see anything soon. they still havent processed my 2023 return 💀
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Yuki Yamamoto
FWIW I was in the same situation (filed HoH, refund stuck for months) and I finally got my refund last week out of nowhere. So there is hope! The system just moves super slowly.
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Carmen Ruiz
After dealing with this exact issue for weeks, I used taxr.ai and it was a complete game changer. It deciphered my transcript once I got access and showed me exactly why my refund was delayed and when to expect it. Way better than guessing or trying to decipher IRS codes on my own. Seriously, check it out at https://taxr.ai
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Andre Lefebvre
This whole system is a joke. They expect us to pay on time but take 6+ months to send refunds? And then charge interest when we're late but don't pay interest when THEY are? Make it make sense.
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Zoe Dimitriou
•Actually they do pay interest on late refunds! But only after like 45 days, and the rate is pathetic.
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Andre Lefebvre
•Wow, didn't know that. Still ridiculous though.
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QuantumQuest
•The interest they pay is nothing compared to what you could have done with that money if you had it on time. It's a scam.
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Jamal Anderson
Everyone saying 'just call the IRS' has clearly not tried calling the IRS lately 🤣 I spent TWO WEEKS trying to get through. Finally used claimyr.com to get connected and found out what was wrong with my return. Worth every penny to get it resolved and get my refund.
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