Has anyone received 2023 amended tax return updates? Filed in February

So I sent in my amended return for 2023 back in February (on the 12th to be exact) and honestly I'm getting kind of anxious because I haven't heard anything at all from the IRS. I know they say it can take up to 16 weeks for processing, but it's getting close to that mark and still nothing. The weird thing is, I was scrolling through some posts and saw someone mention they filed their amended return just a couple days after me (like the 14th or 16th of February) and they already got their refund last month! Makes me wonder if mine got lost in the shuffle or something. Has anyone else who filed an amended return around February received any updates? Is there something I should be doing to check on this besides the "Where's My Amended Return" tool which just shows "received"? Starting to get a bit worried here.

0 coins

20 comments

Olivia Van-Cleve

•8M

The IRS is experiencing significant backlogs with amended returns right now, so your experience is actually quite normal. While the official guidance is 16 weeks for processing, many amended returns (Form 1040-X) are currently taking 20+ weeks to process. The person who received their refund faster was likely an exception, not the rule. Several factors can influence processing times: the complexity of your amendment, whether it was e-filed or paper filed, if there were any errors or missing information, and simply which processing center received your return. Right now, your best option is to continue monitoring the "Where's My Amended Return" tool at irs.gov/WMAR. Once you hit the 16-week mark, you can call the IRS directly at 1-800-829-1040 to inquire about your return's status. Make sure to have your tax info ready (SSN, filing status, exact refund amount).

0 coins

Olivia Van-Cleve

•8M

Calling before the 16-week mark typically won't help as IRS representatives are instructed to simply tell you to wait until the full processing time has elapsed. They generally don't have additional information to provide until that timeframe has passed. Unfortunately, there's not much you can do to speed up the process at this point. The amendment is already in their system, and they process returns in the order received (with some exceptions for very simple cases). Your best approach is to be patient and prepare to call once you reach the 16-week mark. When you do call, try early morning or late afternoon on Tuesday through Thursday for shorter wait times.

0 coins

Mason Kaczka

•8M

I was in a similar situation last year and found taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) super helpful with tracking my amended return. They have this feature where they can check the actual status of your return beyond what the basic "Where's My Amended Return" tool shows. I uploaded my tax documents and they showed me exactly where my amended return was in the IRS system - turns out mine was sitting in a specific department waiting for review while others filed around the same time were moving through a different queue.

0 coins

Mason Kaczka

•8M

They have specialized software that can access the IRS transcript system more comprehensively than the public-facing tools. It's not that they have "better access" - they're just better at interpreting the data and codes that are already in the system but not visible in the basic WMAR tool. For education credits from 2021, yes it absolutely works for that. Their system can check any tax year that's still within the amendment window, which is why I found it so helpful when the regular tools weren't giving me useful information. They can tell you which department has your return and if there are any holds you might not know about.

0 coins

Evelyn Xu

•8M

Just wanted to update everyone - I tried taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here and wow, it actually showed me exactly what was going on with my 2021 amended return for that education credit! Turns out it was flagged for a review because of a discrepancy between what my college reported and what I claimed. The regular "Where's My Amended Return" tool just showed "In Process" for months, but taxr.ai showed me which department had it and even gave me tips for what documentation I needed to have ready. Got a letter from the IRS last week asking for exactly what taxr.ai said they'd want. Definitely saved me from more waiting!

0 coins

Dominic Green

•8M

I wasted WEEKS trying to get through to the IRS about my amended return. Kept getting the "call volumes are too high" message and disconnects. Finally used https://claimyr.com and got through in like 20 minutes. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - basically they navigate the phone tree for you and call you when they have an agent on the line. The agent was actually able to tell me my amended return had an issue they needed to resolve but no one had contacted me about it yet! Would have been waiting forever otherwise.

0 coins

Dominic Green

•8M

It's not magic - they use technology that keeps dialing and navigating the phone tree until they get through. It's the same thing professional tax preparers use, just available to everyone. They basically have multiple lines trying at once until one connects. They don't do anything you couldn't do yourself if you had unlimited time and phone lines. I was skeptical too until I tried it. The IRS phone system isn't designed to keep people out - it's just overwhelmed. This service just handles the frustrating part of getting through the initial queue.

0 coins

Kayla Jacobson

•8M

I've got to admit I was totally wrong about Claimyr. After posting that skeptical comment I figured I'd try it anyway since I was desperate about my amended return from 2022. Used the service yesterday morning and had an IRS agent on the phone by afternoon. Turns out my amended return had been sitting in the error resolution department for 3 months because they couldn't verify a business expense, but nobody ever sent me a letter! The agent transferred me directly to that department and I got it resolved in one call. Would have been waiting for months more thinking it was just "processing." Definitely worth it for the peace of mind alone.

0 coins

William Rivera

•8M

There's actually a specific pattern to IRS amended return processing right now. They're prioritizing: 1) Returns with simple math corrections 2) Returns claiming refundable credits they missed the first time 3) Returns changing filing status 4) Everything else If yours falls into category 1 or 2, it will likely be faster. If it's 3 or 4, you're looking at 20+ weeks based on what I've seen. Also, if you paper filed, add another 4-6 weeks minimum compared to e-filing.

0 coins

William Rivera

•8M

Yes, investment income corrections typically fall into category 4 since they require manual verification against what was reported by your financial institutions. Based on current processing trends, you should expect the full 20+ weeks. The IRS is particularly careful with investment income amendments because they want to ensure all 1099 forms match what you're reporting. If your financial institution also corrected their reporting after you filed your original return, that can actually help speed things up since the IRS can see the corrected information matches your amendment. But if you're correcting based on your own records that differ from what was reported, expect a more thorough review.

0 coins

Ruby Knight

•6M

I'm in the exact same boat - filed my amended return on February 8th and still waiting! It's frustrating seeing others who filed after us already getting their refunds. I've been checking the "Where's My Amended Return" tool religiously and it just says "received" with no updates. From what I'm reading in these comments, it sounds like the processing times are really all over the place right now. Some of these third-party tools people are mentioning sound interesting, especially if they can give more detailed status updates than the basic IRS tool. Might be worth looking into taxr.ai or claimyr if you're as anxious as I am about this whole process. Have you tried calling the IRS yet, or are you waiting until you hit that 16-week mark? I'm torn between being patient and wanting to know what's actually happening with my return.

0 coins

Jamal Carter

•3M

I'm dealing with the same frustrating situation! Filed mine on February 15th so we're right around the same timeframe. After reading through all these responses, I think I'm going to wait until I hit the 16-week mark before calling the IRS directly, since it sounds like calling earlier won't really help much. The taxr.ai option that @Mason Kaczka mentioned sounds pretty compelling - especially after seeing @Evelyn Xu s success'with it for her education credit amendment. Might be worth trying if you want more detailed information than just received status. "I" m also'curious about your amendment type - mine was for some missed business deductions, so according to @William Rivera s breakdown, we'might be looking at the longer 20+ week timeline unfortunately. At least we re not alone'in this waiting game!

0 coins