Federal & SC State Refunds Still "Accepted" Since February 15th - No Movement After 4+ Months Despite "5 Days Early" Promise
I e-filed my taxes on April 12 and it was accepted the same day. It's now June and I'm still not seeing any updates on my refund. When I check the Where's My Refund tool, it still just shows 'Return Accepted' from April 12, but nothing else has changed. Looking at my tax filing app, I can see: E-filed: 02/15 Accepted: 02/15 Refund delivery: [pending] The app shows "Where's my refund?" with a message that says "You signed up to receive your federal refund up to 5 days early." But it's been months now, not days! My status for FEDERAL just shows "Return accepted 02/15" with an option to "see fees deducted" which I already reviewed. My STATE refund for South Carolina (SC) shows as "Accepted" with an amount of $438 from 02/18, but there's been zero movement there either. I've tried using the navigation options in the app (Home, Documents, Tax tips, More, Help) but nothing gives me any useful information about the delay. Has anyone experienced this kind of delay? Should I be worried or is this normal for this tax season? I've never had to wait this long before. It's especially frustrating since I was specifically told I'd get my refund "up to 5 days early" but now I'm months behind with no explanation.
57 comments
Nadia Zaldivar
Tax transcripts are going to be your best friend here. The Where's My Refund tool is notoriously unreliable and doesn't update frequently. Your return is likely in processing, which can take 21 days for simple returns and much longer if there are any issues. Here's what could be happening: • Your return was flagged for manual review (very common this year) • You claimed certain credits that require additional verification • The IRS could be experiencing processing backlogs at their service center • If you filed with a company that takes fees from your refund, there could be a delay with the third-party bank I would recommend creating an account on IRS.gov to access your transcript - this will give you much more detailed information about what's happening with your return. Look for codes like 570 (refund hold), 971 (notice issued), or 846 (refund issued). Without seeing your transcript, it's hard to know exactly what's going on.
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Rajan Walker
Thanks for the info. I'll try to check the transcript. Do I need to create an account for that? Never done that before.
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Nadia Zaldivar
Yes, you'll need to create an account at IRS.gov. Fair warning - the verification process can be annoying. Make sure you have your ID, tax info, and a mobile phone handy.
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Lukas Fitzgerald
transcripts are definitely the way to go. the wmr tool is basically worthless these days 🙄
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Ev Luca
I tried logging in to get my transcript and it said I needed to verify with ID.me which was a whole ordeal. Took me like an hour just to get verified.
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Avery Davis
If you want an easier way to check and understand your transcript without the hassle, check out taxr.ai - it reads your transcript and explains everything in plain English. Seriously saved me so much time trying to figure out what all those codes meant.
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Collins Angel
I'm in the EXACT same boat. Filed April 1, accepted same day, and nothing since then. Called IRS twice and couldn't get through to anyone. So frustrating!
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Avery Davis
I was in the same situation a few weeks ago and was pulling my hair out trying to understand what was happening with my refund. A friend recommended taxr.ai and wow - it actually explained everything that was going on with my return! It reads your transcript and tells you exactly what's happening, when you can expect your refund, and if there are any issues you need to address. So much better than trying to decipher all those codes yourself or staring at the useless WMR tool. Literally saved me hours of stress and confusion. Check it out at https://taxr.ai
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Marcelle Drum
Sounds interesting. How exactly does it work? Does it just read your transcript or does it do more?
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Avery Davis
It does way more than just read it - it actually interprets everything and explains it in normal human language. Like it told me my return was delayed because of income verification, showed me exactly when I should expect my refund, and even explained what letters I might get from the IRS. Best part is you don't need to be a tax expert to understand what's happening anymore!
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Tate Jensen
idk sounds kinda sketchy tbh. does it need access to personal info?
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Avery Davis
Not sketchy at all! You just upload your transcript PDF and it analyzes it right there. EVERYONE needs to try this - would have saved me weeks of anxiety! I've been telling all my friends about it.
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Adaline Wong
you sure this isnt just an ad? 🤔
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Avery Davis
Nope, just a real person who was frustrated with the IRS like everyone else here. I've been using it weekly to check for updates and it's been a game changer. Seriously, try it.
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Gabriel Ruiz
After waiting for weeks with no updates on my refund, I finally got someone on the phone at the IRS using this calling app from Claimyr.com. Total lifesaver! The regular IRS number was just giving me automated messages and hangups, but this got me through to a real person who could actually help. They said my return was stuck in processing due to a verification issue that would've taken months to resolve if I hadn't called. Talking to an agent got my refund released within a week after being stuck for almost 2 months. Worth every penny for the peace of mind alone.
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Misterclamation Skyblue
Did you have to pay for it? The IRS phone service should be free.
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Gabriel Ruiz
Yeah there's a fee but honestly after wasting hours trying to get through on my own, it was the best investment ever. The IRS phone service IS free - this just helps you actually reach them instead of getting hung up on constantly.
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Peyton Clarke
Does it actually work tho? I've tried calling the IRS like 50 times and always get the "we're too busy, call back later" message.
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Gabriel Ruiz
100% worked for me. Had an agent on the phone within hours when I'd been trying for weeks on my own. They don't magically skip the line or anything, they just navigate the phone tree and keep calling until they get through, then they call you when an agent is ready.
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Vince Eh
sounds like some kind of scam to me
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Gabriel Ruiz
Not a scam at all. They just do the annoying part of getting through the IRS phone system for you. After trying for weeks myself, it was worth it to finally get answers.
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Sophia Gabriel
Are you sure your return was ACTUALLY accepted? Sometimes ppl confuse their tax preparer saying it was submitted vs the IRS actually accepting it. Double check your email for official IRS acceptance notice.
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Tobias Lancaster
I'm literally in the exact same situation. Filed April 10, accepted April 10, and nothing has moved since then. From what I've gathered, a LOT of people who filed in April are stuck in processing limbo. I called the IRS and finally got through after 2.5 hours on hold, and they just told me my return was "still processing" and to keep waiting. Super helpful, right? 🙄
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Rajan Walker
Did they give you any idea of when it might be processed? Or just the generic "keep waiting" answer?
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Tobias Lancaster
Just the generic BS. Said something about "high volume" and that I should "allow up to 16 weeks from the date of acceptance" which is ridiculous. The website says 21 days! The IRS is a joke tbh.
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Ezra Beard
16 weeks?! That's insane. I'm never filing in April again, gonna do it in February next year.
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Statiia Aarssizan
Check if you claimed the Earned Income Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit. Those automatically delay processing cuz the IRS has to verify them. They don't tell you that when you file tho 😡
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Rajan Walker
I didn't claim either of those. Just a pretty straightforward return with W-2 income and standard deduction.
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Statiia Aarssizan
hmm then it might be the PATH act verification still. did you get unemployment or anything unusual last year?
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Reginald Blackwell
have u tried calling them? sometimes u just need to get a human on the phone to fix whatever is holding things up.
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Rajan Walker
I've tried calling several times but can never get through. Always get the message about high call volume and to try again later.
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Reginald Blackwell
you gotta call right when they open at 7am. and keep calling. took me 23 tries but i finally got through last week.
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Aria Khan
I tried the 7am thing too and still no luck. System is broken af.
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Everett Tutum
This is just how it is now. The IRS is severely underfunded and understaffed. Nearly half my clients are experiencing delays this year. The "21 day" processing thing is a joke. Most returns are taking 6-8 weeks minimum this year, and if there's ANY issue at all, you're looking at 3-4 months or more. Welcome to tax season 2024/2025! 💀
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Sunny Wang
did u use turbotax or one of those online filing services? if u had your filing fees taken out of ur refund, that adds extra time cuz it goes through a bank first. i learned that lesson the hard way.
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Rajan Walker
Yeah I used TaxAct and had the fees taken out of my refund. Didn't realize that would cause more delays though...
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Sunny Wang
yep there's ur problem. the refund has to go to a bank account they set up, then they take their fees, then send the rest to u. adds like 1-2 weeks minimum, sometimes more.
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Rajan Walker
Well that's annoying. Wish they'd been more upfront about that.
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Hugh Intensity
I waited 13 months for my 2023 refund. Filed Feb 2023, didn't get my refund until March 2024. Sometimes the IRS just decides to make your return their personal project for the year. Hope yours doesn't take that long 🤞
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Effie Alexander
OMG 13 months?!? Did they at least pay you interest?
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Hugh Intensity
yeah they did pay interest, but only like 5% which is nothing compared to the stress of waiting forever and not knowing what was happening
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Melissa Lin
The Where's My Refund tool hasn't been updated since the stone age. More accurate to use a magic 8 ball at this point lmao
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Lydia Santiago
Check your mailbox carefully! Sometimes they send you a letter requesting more information but you have no idea online. I missed a letter and it delayed my refund by 2 months until I called and found out.
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Rajan Walker
Good point. I'll double check but I don't think I've received anything from them.
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Romeo Quest
I had this exact problem and it turns out my identity was flagged for verification. Had to go through the whole ID verify process and then it started moving. Check if you need to verify your identity on the IRS website.
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Val Rossi
Did you file any amended returns for previous years that haven't been processed yet? That can cause them to hold current year returns.
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Rajan Walker
Nope, no amended returns or anything unusual.
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Eve Freeman
I ended up using taxr.ai after weeks of frustration with my 2024 return being stuck. Uploaded my transcript and it immediately told me I needed to verify my income (which I had no idea about) and even predicted my exact refund date once the verification cleared. Weirdly enough the prediction was spot on - got my money exactly when it said I would. Would have been completely in the dark without it. https://taxr.ai
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Clarissa Flair
another taxr shill post? this sub is getting ridiculous 😒
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Eve Freeman
Not a shill, just sharing what worked for me after spending weeks confused by my transcript. You don't have to use it, but for those of us who don't speak IRS-code, it's helpful.
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Caden Turner
I'm actually interested - did it tell you anything you couldn't figure out yourself from the transcript?
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Eve Freeman
100%. I had no idea what any of the codes meant. It told me exactly why my refund was held up and what steps to take next. Totally worth it when you're stuck in IRS limbo.
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McKenzie Shade
I feel ur pain. The tax system in this country is an absolute dumpster fire. Every year it gets worse. I've been waiting since March for mine.
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Harmony Love
If you have a local Taxpayer Advocate Service office, try contacting them. They sometimes can help move things along if your refund has been stuck for an extended period. Their number is 877-777-4778.
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Rudy Cenizo
Taxpayer advocate is backed up for months too. They won't even take your case unless you can prove financial hardship now.
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Harmony Love
Ah damn, didn't know it had gotten that bad. The whole system is falling apart.
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Natalie Khan
Double check that your bank account info was entered correctly. Friend of mine had his refund sent back to the IRS because he transposed two digits in his account number.
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