Filed & Accepted 1/24, ID Verified 1/26 - Agent Said 9 Week Processing Time?

So here's the big picture: the IRS is definitely taking longer this year than usual, but 9 weeks is typically their "cover our butts" timeline. I've seen plenty of returns with ID verification move faster than that. It's like when the pizza place says delivery will take an hour but shows up in 30 minutes - they're managing expectations. 😂 Anyone else notice the IRS always quotes the maximum possible time?

Have you checked your IRS transcript instead of just WMR? The Account Transcript often shows processing status codes that WMR doesn't display. You can access it through the IRS.gov portal under "Get Transcript Online" and look for TC 570/571 codes which indicate verification holds and releases. Many times the transcript updates before WMR does, especially for returns with extra verification steps.

Oh my goodness, I FEEL your frustration! I went through this exact situation last year and it was so stressful not knowing what was happening! I finally tried using https://taxr.ai to analyze my transcript once it appeared, and it was such a relief to actually understand what was going on. The tool explained all those confusing codes and gave me a much clearer timeline than the IRS agent did. It showed me exactly where my return was stuck in the verification process and when I could expect movement. Sometimes those 9-week quotes are just standard responses agents give for any verification case.

My transcript looked exactly like yours for weeks after ID verification. No updates, no changes, nothing. Then suddenly everything updated at once and my refund was deposited three days later. Isn't it strange how the system can go from seemingly no activity to completely processed overnight? The whole time I was wondering if something was wrong, but it turns out it was just processing normally behind the scenes where we couldn't see it. Total time was about 5 weeks from verification to deposit for me.

I had almost the same timeline as you last year. Filed January 22nd, had to verify identity January 25th. I tried calling the IRS every day for two weeks and couldn't get through. I was getting a bit worried since we were planning to use that money for some home repairs. Finally used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to get through to an agent. They connected me in about 15 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own! The agent confirmed my return was still processing normally after verification and that I didn't need to do anything else. Refund showed up about 3 weeks after that call.

Based on my experience with identity verification last year, here's what typically happens: 1. Your return gets flagged for ID verification (either randomly or due to specific factors) 2. After verification, your return goes back into processing queue 3. There's usually a 2-3 week hold period where nothing appears to happen 4. Your transcript will update first, usually with codes 570 (additional account action pending) and then 571 (resolved) 5. WMR updates 2-7 days after transcript 6. Refund issued within 1 week of final updates The 9 weeks is definitely their maximum timeline, not typical. Most people I know received their refunds 4-6 weeks after verification.

I went through this exact process this year. Filed 1/19, verified 1/23, and despite the agent quoting me 9 weeks per Internal Revenue Manual 21.5.6, I received my refund exactly 31 days after verification. According to the Taxpayer Bill of Rights Section 7803(a)(3), the IRS is required to provide fair and prompt service. While verification does add processing time, the 9-week timeframe is their maximum allowable processing period, not the average timeframe.

When you say you had to verify your identity, was this through ID.me online or did you have to call in? I've been through both processes in different years, and the call-in verification definitely took longer to process afterward than the online verification. My experience in 2022 with phone verification took 7 weeks, but last year with online verification only took 3 weeks.

Have you considered checking your state refund status as well? Sometimes your state refund will process even while federal is held for verification. I speak cautiously about this, but many people don't realize the two systems are separate. My federal was held for 6 weeks after verification last year, but my state processed normally and I received it within 2 weeks.

FWIW, the community wisdom on this is pretty clear: the 9wk timeline is the IRS's CYA estimate. Most ppl see movement way before that. ID verify adds ~3-4wks to processing on avg. If u filed w/ dependents or EITC/CTC, add another week or so. The real trick is checking transcripts not WMR. WMR is notoriously slow to update. Transcript will show codes 570/571 when things are moving again. Hang in there!