Filed 2/26 and Still Waiting for Refund on Final Day

Been there last year too. Waited 11 weeks for what should've been a 21-day refund. The IRS is seriously understaffed this season. I called 14 times before getting through. The processing backlogs are worse than during COVID years. Your 8-week wait is frustrating but unfortunately common right now.

According to IRS Publication 17, standard processing time is 21 days for e-filed returns with direct deposit. However, Section 6.1 notes that verification procedures may extend this timeframe. I was in limbo for 9 weeks last year. Claimyr.com (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) got me through to an agent in 17 minutes after I spent days trying. The agent confirmed my return was flagged for manual review but nothing was wrong.

I'm in the same boat! Filed 2/20 and still waiting. Did you claim any credits? My transcript shows nothing. WMR just says processing. Is this normal? Should I be worried? Never filed this early before.

Why waste hours trying to decipher your transcript when you could get clear answers in minutes? I used https://taxr.ai to analyze my transcript when it finally appeared. Worth every penny. It explained exactly what each code meant and predicted my refund date accurately. Why stress when there's a tool that can tell you exactly what's happening?

Be careful about assuming your return is just delayed. I had a similar timeline last year and ignored it, thinking it was just normal processing. Turns out there was an Identity Verification hold that I missed because I didn't receive the letter. The IRS had sent Form 5071C requesting verification, but it went to my old address. The 60-day response window had nearly expired when I discovered the issue. Monitor your transcript for TC 570 and 971 codes which indicate verification holds.

Did you receive any notices in the mail? My refund was delayed like yours, but it was much worse than my brother's situation who got his in 2 weeks. Have you checked your transcript for any codes that might explain the delay?

A few things to check: • Verify WMR status (still on first bar?) • Access transcript for codes (570/971 would indicate a hold) • Check if you claimed EITC or ACTC (Path Act delays) • Confirm bank info is correct I'm worried this might be more than just normal processing if you filed 2/26 and still nothing.

Did you file on February 26th electronically or by paper? On March 15th, the IRS announced extended processing times for certain returns. Have you checked if your bank account information was entered correctly when you filed?

I tracked 43 returns this season for my family and clients. The average wait time was 24 days for simple returns and 37 days for returns with credits. 100% of returns with EITC filed before March 1st took at least 35 days. 12 returns had exactly your timeline (filed last week of February) and 9 of them received refunds between April 12-19. The other 3 had verification holds.