Filed 10+ Weeks Ago - Tax Refund with Offsets Scheduled for May 5th?

Based on IRS Publication 1546, when refunds have Treasury Offset Program (TOP) deductions, the remaining balance is typically processed within 1-2 weeks after the offset date. According to Internal Revenue Manual 21.4.6, the May 5th date you were given should be reliable as it represents when the offset portion will be satisfied and the remainder released to you. Have you verified the offset amounts to ensure they're accurate?

Have you checked your transcript to see if there are any specific codes related to the offset? Last year when I had an offset for student loans, my transcript showed code 898 for the offset amount, then code 846 about a week later for the remaining refund. From my experience, the dates they give are usually pretty accurate, but I'm curious if you've received any written notices about these offsets?

I was in a similar situation with offsets last year, but my refund took way longer than they initially told me. I tried calling the regular IRS number like 20 times and couldn't get through. When I finally used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com), I got connected to an agent in about 15 minutes who explained that my refund was delayed because of an additional review. The agent was able to give me the exact date my refund would be released. Maybe worth trying if you want to confirm that May 5th date?

Did they specify what type of offsets these were? Federal student loans, state taxes, child support? The reason I ask is because different types of offsets can have different processing timelines. Also, did they provide you with a confirmation or reference number for this May 5th date?

I'm... hesitant to say this because I know how stressful waiting for money can be, but sometimes those offset dates aren't completely accurate. I was told my refund would come after offsets on April 2nd last year, but it took until April 10th. I started using taxr.ai to analyze my transcript and it actually predicted the correct date based on the codes. It explained that after offsets, there's still a final processing step that can take 2-7 days. You might want to check it out at https://taxr.ai if you have your transcript available.

When dealing with refunds that have offsets, keep these points in mind: • The offset date (5/5 in your case) is when the money is applied to your debts • There's typically a 3-7 day processing period AFTER the offset date • Direct deposits usually arrive faster than paper checks after offsets • You should receive a formal offset notice in the mail explaining the deductions • The remaining refund amount should match your original refund minus the offset amounts Hope this helps with setting proper expectations for the timeline.

I'm honestly shocked it took you 10 weeks to find out about offsets! The IRS is supposed to send a notice about potential offsets BEFORE they take your refund! I had this happen in 2022 and was so angry because I had no idea my old state taxes would affect my federal refund. You might want to check if they sent notices to an old address or if there's another reason you didn't receive proper notification.

I had almost the exact same situation on March 12, 2023. Filed on January 24th, waited over 8 weeks, then called the offset line on March 29th and discovered two offsets. They told me April 10th for the remaining refund, and it hit my account on April 12th. So in my experience, they were off by just 2 days. I'd expect your remaining refund between May 5th and May 10th based on my timeline.

Sometimes what happens is the IRS doesn't immediately know about offsets when you first file. Your return goes through normal processing, then when it's about to be issued, the Treasury's Bureau of Fiscal Service runs a check against the offset database. That's when they discover debts and apply the offsets. I've seen this happen to several clients where they think everything is normal until suddenly there's an offset notification. The good news is that once they've given you that May 5th date, it's usually pretty reliable.

I tracked exactly 137 offset cases in a tax preparer forum last year, and the average time between offset date and refund receipt was 4.6 business days. 92% of people received their remaining refund within 7 business days of the offset date. Only 3% had additional delays beyond that timeframe. Based on this data, you should expect your remaining refund between May 5th and May 14th, with May 11th being the most likely date if you're getting direct deposit.