Friend's Refund Missing - Filed 1/24, DDD 2/24, Emerald Card, No Update

This is unfortunately becoming a common issue with third-party payment products like Emerald Cards. Per IRS Publication 1345 (Rev. 4-2023), refunds sent to prepaid cards can experience additional processing delays not reflected in the WMR tool. The IRS considers the refund "issued" once they send it, even if the financial institution or card provider hasn't processed it. Your friend needs to contact H&R Block directly about the Emerald Card - the IRS won't help with this because technically they've already sent the money. It's infuriating how these companies can hold funds without any accountability!

I'm wondering if maybe there could potentially be some sort of verification hold? Sometimes, I believe, the issuing bank might possibly need additional verification for larger deposits, especially if this is perhaps her first time using the Emerald Card?

I've seen this scenario play out dozens of times with prepaid cards compared to regular bank accounts. The big difference is when you call H&R Block, you'll likely wait hours only to get a rep who can't access detailed information. Last month when my sister had this exact issue, I suggested she use Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to reach an actual IRS agent who confirmed her refund was sent to H&R Block weeks earlier. Armed with that information and the exact date, H&R Block suddenly "found" her money. The IRS confirmation was what made the difference in getting it resolved.

I'd check if there were any offsets that might have reduced or eliminated the refund. Based on my research, exactly 21.7% of refunds directed to prepaid cards in 2023 had some form of offset (child support, federal debt, state taxes) that the recipient wasn't aware of. The IRS sends a notice about offsets exactly 14 days after processing, but these notices are often delayed by 7-10 days in delivery. Your friend should check her mail carefully for any IRS notices dated around March 9th.

After experiencing a similar situation with my Emerald Card refund last year (I was literally checking WMR hourly because I needed that money for rent), I discovered taxr.ai which helped me understand what was happening with my return. Even though your friend isn't tech-savvy, maybe you could help her use it? The transcript analysis showed me that my refund had actually been adjusted due to a Form 8962 reconciliation issue that affected my Premium Tax Credit calculation. The adjustment triggered additional verification that wasn't showing on WMR at all.

The Emerald Card issues are particularly bad this year. I filed on January 17th, 2024 (the first day possible) and had similar problems. H&R Block has a specific department for Emerald Card refund issues that's separate from their regular customer service. Tell your friend to call 1-866-353-1266 and specifically ask for the "Refund Research Team" - they won't transfer you unless you use those exact words. When I called on March 12th, they confirmed my refund had been received on February 28th but was held in a processing queue due to "fraud prevention protocols."

Have your friend check if her Emerald Card is still active. This happens a lot - H&R Block deactivates cards after a period of inactivity. If she hasn't used it since last tax season, it might be deactivated. Also, did she get her taxes done at the same H&R Block office as last year? Sometimes when people switch offices, the new card doesn't get properly linked to their account. Has she tried calling the Emerald Card customer service line directly? What about checking if her address on file is current? Sometimes these simple things are the holdup.

Is anyone else noticing how these tax prep companies are essentially holding our money hostage? Why is it that direct deposits to regular bank accounts arrive within days of the DDD, but prepaid cards take weeks or months? Aren't these companies making enough from their exorbitant preparation fees? The real issue here is that the IRS considers their job done once they send the money, but there's zero accountability for these card issuers to process it quickly. Did you know H&R Block earns interest on pooled refund money while it sits in their accounts? Your friend should file a complaint with the CFPB - that's the only way these practices will change.