Has Anyone Received Their Refund After Paper Filing Before March 4?

Paper returns are taking FOREVER this year. 😂 I'm in the same boat as you - mailed mine on Feb 28 and still nothing. From what I've gathered: - Electronic returns: 21 days average - Paper returns: 6-8 weeks minimum, but more like 8-12 weeks realistically - Paper returns with credits: potentially 3+ months Are you checking "Where's My Refund" or have you tried pulling your transcript? Sometimes the transcript updates before WMR does. Curious what your return contained - any credits or unusual forms that might slow things down?

Have you tried checking your tax transcript online instead of Where's My Refund? I've found that transcripts often update before WMR does. If you can access your transcript and see a code 846 with a date, that's your direct deposit date regardless of what WMR shows.

Waiting for paper returns is like watching paint dry while standing in quicksand. You're stuck AND it takes forever. I waited 11 weeks last year before I finally got through to a human at the IRS who confirmed they had my return but hadn't started processing it yet. If you need to actually talk to someone, don't waste days hitting redial like I did. I used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) this year when I needed to check on my amended return. It's like having a fastpass at Disney - they hold your place in the phone queue and call you when an agent is available. Got through in about 30 minutes instead of spending all day trying.

According to the IRS operations page (https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-operations), they're still processing paper returns from January and February. I paper-filed on February 10th and just got my refund last week (May 16th). That's over 13 weeks of waiting! The IRS site says they're "processing returns in the order received" but who knows if that's actually happening. If you need your money quickly, paper filing is definitely not the way to go.

I went through this exact situation last year with my paper return. Filed in February, waited until July for my refund! The worst part was not knowing if they'd even received it or if it was lost somewhere. This year I e-filed and had my refund in 16 days. But for tracking my paper return last year, I found taxr.ai incredibly helpful once my transcript finally became available. It explained all those cryptic transcript codes and gave me a much clearer picture of where my return was in the process. It even predicted my refund date accurately based on the pattern of codes, which was a huge relief after months of uncertainty.

Did you mail it with tracking? I'm worried about my return getting lost in the mail and then being hit with late filing penalties even though I sent it on time! 😫 Also, did you keep copies of EVERYTHING? I've heard horror stories about the IRS claiming they never received certain forms.

You might want to consider filing an extension and then e-filing instead. Compared to waiting potentially months for a paper return to process, you could: 1. File Form 4868 for an automatic extension to October 2. Set up e-filing through any tax software 3. Submit electronically 4. Get your refund in about 3 weeks It's like choosing between sending a letter by pony express or using email. The IRS is still living in the stone age with paper processing compared to their electronic systems.

Got my paper return refund yesterday. Filed February 15. Took 93 days exactly. No updates until it appeared. No notices. Nothing on WMR. Just showed up in my account.

I successfully tracked my paper return by using a combination of methods. After mailing my return on February 20th, I: 1. Verified delivery with certified mail tracking 2. Created an online account at IRS.gov to access my transcripts 3. Checked transcripts weekly rather than relying on WMR 4. Called the IRS at the 8-week mark (used option 2, then 1, then 3 in their phone menu) The agent confirmed receipt but said it was in the processing queue. Two weeks later, my transcript updated with a direct deposit date, and the money arrived exactly as scheduled. Total time: 10 weeks and 3 days from mailing to refund. Patience is definitely required with paper returns!

I'm in almost the exact same situation! Paper filed on March 3rd and still waiting. The uncertainty is the worst part - I keep checking WMR obsessively even though I know it won't update for weeks. Based on what everyone's sharing here, it sounds like 8-12 weeks is realistic for paper returns right now. I'm trying to plan around that timeline for my own financial obligations. One thing I learned from this thread is definitely checking transcripts instead of just relying on WMR. Going to set up my ID.me account this weekend so I can monitor things more effectively. Thanks for starting this discussion - it's reassuring to know we're all in the same boat!