Filing Deceased Father's Tax Return - How Long for IRS Processing?

Yes. These take longer. Paper returns are slower. Deceased taxpayer returns need extra verification. IRS reviews documentation carefully. Expect 8-12 weeks minimum. Could be longer this season. Be patient.

Dealing with the same thing right now with my mom's taxes. It's like the IRS puts these in the "complicated pile" and forgets about them for a while! 😩 Been waiting 14 weeks now. Finally got smart and used https://taxr.ai to analyze her transcript. It showed exactly where in processing the return was stuck and explained all those weird codes. Saved me from having a full-blown anxiety attack every time I checked for updates. The site actually predicted I'd get the refund next week based on the processing pattern.

Did you file with Form 1310? I submitted my husband's final return on January 23, 2024, and I'm still waiting. IRS website says deceased taxpayer returns take 6-8 weeks longer than standard processing. But I've seen cases from February 2023 that took almost 6 months. Did you check if your father had any outstanding debts that might offset the refund? That's another complication that extends processing.

I waited almost 4 months for my aunt's return last year. Regular returns were coming back in 3 weeks. Deceased returns are like audit returns - they take forever compared to normal processing. After 3 months of calling that impossible IRS number, I used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to actually get through to a human. Got connected to an agent in about 15 minutes who confirmed it was still processing normally, just in the deceased taxpayer queue. Saved me weeks of worry.

According to Internal Revenue Manual section 21.7.4, deceased taxpayer returns require additional processing steps. Per IRS Publication 559, the executor or personal representative must file the final return. If you submitted Form 1310 (Statement of Person Claiming Refund Due a Deceased Taxpayer), the IRS must validate your legal right to claim the refund. This validation adds significant processing time. Instead of waiting passively, request a transcript of your father's account. This will show if the return has been received and is being processed. The IRS doesn't prioritize these returns, but they do follow a standard workflow for deceased taxpayer processing.

I went through this exact situation with my mother last year. I remember being so frustrated because I needed the refund to help cover some of the funeral costs. I was checking the IRS website every single day for three months! When it finally processed, it turned out they had sent a letter requesting additional verification that I never received. Once I provided the documentation they needed, it took another 6 weeks. My advice is to be proactive - don't just wait like I did. The relief when it finally came through was enormous though.

Deceased taxpayer returns are subject to Manual Review Processing under IRS procedures. The IRS applies additional verification protocols to prevent fraudulent claims. Standard processing time for paper-filed deceased returns is currently 16-20 weeks minimum. This timeframe extends if the decedent had outstanding liabilities or if documentation is incomplete. Form 1310 must accompany the return unless you're a surviving spouse filing jointly. The IRS will issue Notice CP05 if they need additional verification of your legal right to claim the refund.

Look, the system is frustrating but there are ways through it. Mail anything to the IRS and you're looking at months not weeks. Next time, use a tax pro who specializes in estate issues - they know the exact documentation needed the first time. Check your father's online account transcript if possible. If not, call early morning (7am Eastern) on Tuesday or Wednesday for shortest wait times. And definitely follow up if it's been more than 3 months. The squeaky wheel gets the grease with the IRS.

I'm so sorry for your loss. Going through tax issues while grieving is really tough. I dealt with this when my grandfather passed two years ago. Here's what I learned: deceased taxpayer returns definitely take much longer - mine took about 5 months total. The IRS has to do extra verification to make sure the person filing has the legal right to the refund. A few things that helped me: 1) Keep copies of everything you sent, 2) If you haven't already, make sure you included Form 1310 and wrote "DECEASED" across the top of the 1040, 3) You can call the IRS after 12 weeks to check status, but expect long hold times. The waiting is nerve-wracking but try not to worry if you don't hear anything for several months - that's unfortunately normal for these situations.

I'm so sorry for your loss. I went through this exact situation with my father's final return last year. The timeline everyone mentioned is unfortunately accurate - mine took about 4.5 months total. A few things that helped me navigate the process: Make sure you kept copies of everything you mailed (sounds like you did your research well). The IRS will send correspondence to the address on the return, so monitor that mailbox carefully. If it's been over 16 weeks, you can request a payment trace by calling the Taxpayer Advocate Service at 1-877-777-4778 - they're generally more helpful than the main IRS line. Also, even though you mailed it in, you can still check "Where's My Refund" online using your father's SSN and the refund amount. It won't show detailed status updates like regular returns, but it will at least confirm they received it. The waiting is really stressful, especially when you're already dealing with loss, but try to remember that no news is usually good news with deceased taxpayer returns. Hang in there!

I'm really sorry for your loss. I went through this same situation when my mom passed away in 2023. You made the right choice going with H&R Block and mailing it in - that's exactly what I did too. The waiting is absolutely brutal, but unfortunately it's completely normal. My mom's return took 18 weeks total, and I called the IRS probably 10 times during that period (mostly just to hear them say "still processing"). One thing that gave me some peace of mind was setting up informed delivery with USPS so I could see if any letters were coming from the IRS. Also, make sure you have all your documentation organized in case they request additional verification - I had to send a copy of the death certificate and probate documents about 12 weeks in. The refund will come eventually, I promise. It's just one of those things where the government moves at government speed, especially with deceased taxpayer returns. Hang in there and try not to check the status every day like I did - it just adds to the stress during an already difficult time.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Nia. I went through this exact same situation when my dad passed away two years ago. You absolutely made the right decision filing through H&R Block and mailing it in - that's the standard process for deceased taxpayer returns. The waiting is incredibly stressful, but unfortunately it's completely normal for these to take 4-6 months. The IRS has to do additional verification steps to confirm you have the legal right to claim the refund. My dad's return took about 20 weeks total, and I was checking the status obsessively the whole time. One thing that helped me was calling the IRS after about 16 weeks just to confirm they had received everything - they couldn't give me a specific timeline, but at least I knew it was in their system. Make sure you keep checking the mailbox for any correspondence requesting additional documentation. I know it feels like forever when you're dealing with grief and waiting for closure on these final matters, but the refund will come through eventually. Hang in there!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Nia. I went through something very similar when my mother passed away last spring. You definitely made the right choice working with H&R Block and mailing the return - that's the proper procedure for deceased taxpayer situations. The waiting is absolutely nerve-wracking, but unfortunately it's completely normal for these returns to take 4-6 months to process. The IRS has to do extra verification steps that regular returns don't require. My mom's return took about 22 weeks total, and I was checking the status constantly during that time. One thing that helped me manage the anxiety was setting realistic expectations - these returns go into a completely different processing queue than regular returns. If you haven't already, make sure you're monitoring the mail address on the return carefully since the IRS may send requests for additional documentation. After about 16 weeks, you can call to confirm they received everything, though they won't be able to give you a specific timeline. I know how difficult it is to have this hanging over you while you're still grieving, but the refund will come through. Try to be patient with the process - you did everything correctly!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Nia. I went through this exact situation when my grandmother passed away last year. You absolutely did the right thing working with H&R Block and mailing the return - that's the standard process for deceased taxpayer returns and shows you did your research well. The waiting is incredibly frustrating, but unfortunately these returns routinely take 4-6 months to process because the IRS has to do additional verification steps that regular returns don't require. My grandmother's return took about 19 weeks total. A few things that helped me: keep copies of everything you sent, monitor the mail address on the return carefully for any IRS correspondence, and try not to check the status daily (easier said than done, I know!). After about 16 weeks, you can call to confirm they received your paperwork, though they won't give you a specific timeline. I know how hard it is to have this financial matter hanging over you while you're grieving, but you did everything correctly and the refund will come through. Hang in there!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Nia. I just went through this same situation with my father's return earlier this year, so I completely understand the anxiety and uncertainty you're feeling. You absolutely made the right choice going with H&R Block and mailing it in - that's exactly what I did too after researching the requirements. The waiting is brutal, but unfortunately it's completely normal for deceased taxpayer returns to take 4-6 months. Mine took exactly 21 weeks from the date I mailed it. The IRS has to do additional verification steps that regular returns don't require, and paper returns add even more time to the process. A couple of things that helped me manage the stress: First, I signed up for USPS Informed Delivery so I could see if any letters were coming from the IRS before they arrived. Second, I stopped checking "Where's My Refund" daily because it just says "processing" for months and drove me crazy. After 16 weeks, I did call the IRS just to confirm they had received everything - they couldn't give me a timeline, but at least I knew it was in their system. Make sure you're monitoring the mail address you put on the return carefully, as they may send requests for additional documentation. I had to provide an additional copy of the death certificate around week 14. I know how difficult it is to have this hanging over you while you're already dealing with loss, but you did everything correctly and the refund will come through. Try to be patient with the process - you're definitely not alone in this experience!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Nia. I went through this exact situation when my mother passed away about 18 months ago, and I completely understand the anxiety you're feeling right now. You absolutely made the right decision working with H&R Block and mailing the return - that's the proper procedure for these situations. Unfortunately, deceased taxpayer returns do take significantly longer than regular returns. Mine took about 17 weeks total, and I was checking the status obsessively the entire time. The IRS has to do additional verification steps to confirm you have the legal right to claim the refund, which adds months to the normal processing time. A few things that helped me get through the waiting period: First, I stopped checking "Where's My Refund" daily because it just showed "processing" for months and made me more anxious. Second, I made sure to monitor the mail very carefully since they may request additional documentation - I had to send a copy of the death certificate around week 12. Third, after about 15 weeks, I called just to confirm they had received everything, which gave me some peace of mind even though they couldn't provide a specific timeline. The hardest part is that you can't fully close this chapter while it's hanging over you, especially when you're already grieving. But you did your research, you followed the proper procedures, and the refund will come through. Try to be patient with the process - you're definitely not alone in this experience, and what you're going through is completely normal for these situations.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Nia. I went through this exact situation when my uncle passed away last year, and the waiting is absolutely nerve-wracking. You definitely made the right choice working with H&R Block and mailing it in - that's the standard procedure for deceased taxpayer returns. Unfortunately, these returns do take much longer than regular ones. Mine took about 23 weeks total from mailing to refund. The IRS has to do additional verification steps that regular returns don't require, and paper filing adds even more time to the process. A few things that helped me manage the stress: I signed up for USPS Informed Delivery to track any incoming IRS mail, stopped checking "Where's My Refund" obsessively (it just says "processing" for months), and called the IRS after 18 weeks just to confirm they had received everything. They couldn't give me a timeline, but at least I knew it was in their system. Make sure you monitor the mail address on the return carefully - the IRS may request additional documentation like a death certificate or probate papers. I had to send extra paperwork around week 15. I know how difficult it is to have this hanging over you while you're grieving. It feels like you can't fully close that chapter until everything is resolved. But you did your research and followed the proper procedures. The refund will come through - it's just a matter of being patient with their incredibly slow process. Hang in there!