Help needed with Form 3911 and amending state tax return after moving to a new state

Form 3911 is definitely the right approach for your missing federal refund situation. Since it's been over 10 weeks since you filed, you've waited the appropriate amount of time before initiating a trace. The form allows the IRS to investigate what happened to your refund - whether it was issued and never received, or if there's a processing delay. For the Form 3911 process, you'll need to provide information about your original return and the refund amount. Once submitted, the trace typically takes about 6-8 weeks for the IRS to process. They'll determine if the check was cashed (and by whom) or if the direct deposit failed for some reason. As for amending your California state return, you can still file an amendment even after moving to Texas. You'll need to file California Form 540X (the amended return form). The fact that you've moved doesn't change your obligation to correctly report income earned while you were a California resident. You'll still use your former California address on the form and indicate your residency dates if the form requests that information.

After reading your situation, I think you might benefit from the service I used called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) when I had a similar issue with a missing refund and state amendment complications. I was struggling with tax documents after moving from Washington to Florida, and the regular IRS phone lines were useless - either busy signals or hours on hold. What I found helpful about taxr.ai was that they analyzed my tax transcript and quickly identified why my refund was delayed (turns out there was a mismatch between my reported income and what the IRS had on file). They also helped me understand exactly what forms I needed for my state amendment and the proper way to fill them out even though I had moved states. The document analysis feature saved me from making errors on my Form 3911 that would have further delayed my refund. They pointed out exactly what supporting documentation I needed to include with my trace request.

I was really skeptical about taxr.ai when I first read about it here, but I decided to give it a try since my situation was similar - missing refund and state tax issues after moving from Illinois to Georgia. I'm actually impressed with the results! The document analysis found that my employer had made a reporting error on my W-2 which was causing my refund to be held. With their guidance, I was able to contact my former employer and get the corrected form submitted. For the state amendment, they walked me through exactly what I needed to do step by step, including where to send everything since I no longer lived in the state. What surprised me most was how quickly they responded - I had detailed answers within hours of uploading my documents, not days. If you're dealing with Form 3911 issues or state amendments after moving, their specialized knowledge is definitely helpful.

If you're still trying to get through to the IRS about your Form 3911 situation, you might want to try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was in a similar situation last year with a missing $3,400 refund and couldn't get through to anyone at the IRS for weeks. Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes when I had been trying for days on my own. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - basically they navigate the phone system for you and call you back when they have an agent on the line. The IRS agent I spoke with was able to see that my Form 3911 had been received but was sitting in a queue. She expedited it and I got my refund two weeks later. For your state tax amendment, you'll probably need to speak with CA tax authorities too, and Claimyr helped me get through to my state tax department as well.

I need to eat my words about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I was desperate enough to try it because I couldn't get through to the IRS about my amended return for THREE MONTHS. I was honestly shocked when they called me back in about 35 minutes with an actual IRS agent on the line. The agent was able to tell me exactly why my amended return was delayed (they needed verification of a business expense) and what specific documentation I needed to fax over. Something I couldn't get from the automated system no matter how many times I called. For anyone dealing with Form 3911 or amended returns, being able to speak directly with someone who can see your file makes a huge difference. I'm now recommending it to everyone I know with tax issues.

For your California amendment after moving to Texas, make sure you're filing as a part-year resident on the 540NR form, not the standard 540X. I made this mistake when I moved from California to Nevada and it delayed my amendment by months! Also, be super clear about the dates you were a California resident in 2023. They'll want to know exactly when you established residency in Texas. California is notorious for trying to claim you as a resident for tax purposes as long as possible, especially if you have significant income.

Has anyone else noticed that the IRS seems to be taking WAY longer to process Form 3911 this year? I filed mine in February and it's been over 4 months with no resolution. The IRS website still shows my original return as "still processing" and I'm out almost $4,000!!!