How long does Michigan State Tax Review take? Stuck in processing for 6 weeks
Filed my Michigan state taxes back in early April and got an acceptance confirmation right away. But then about 2 weeks later my refund status changed to 'review' and it's been stuck there for over 6 weeks now. No letter or explanation why it's being reviewed. Every time I check the Where's My Refund tool it just says the same thing - still being reviewed. Has anyone else from Michigan dealt with this? How long did your review take to complete? My federal refund came through weeks ago with no issues, just waiting on this $1,432 state refund. I've tried calling but can't get through to anyone helpful.
67 comments


Katherine Hunter
I work as a tax professional and can tell you that Michigan's Department of Treasury has been experiencing significant delays this year. The 'review' status typically means they're verifying information on your return - could be income verification, identity verification, or checking for potential fraud markers. A few things to consider: • Reviews are taking 8-12 weeks on average this year (much longer than normal) • You should have received a letter if they need additional information - check your mail carefully • If you haven't received a letter, it's likely an automated review that doesn't require action from you • You can try calling first thing when they open (8am) for better chances of reaching someone • Make sure you're checking your status with the correct information (SSN, exact refund amount, etc.) If it's been more than 8 weeks, I'd recommend sending a secure message through Michigan Treasury Online rather than calling.
0 coins
Emma Morales
•Thank you so much for this information! I've been checking my mail carefully and haven't received anything so hopefully that means I dont need to provide additional info. I'll give it another 2 weeks before trying the secure message approach.
0 coins
Lucas Parker
•Is using the Michigan Treasury Online messaging system better than calling? I'm in the same situation (8 weeks in review now) and getting desperate.
0 coins
Katherine Hunter
•Yes, the secure messaging system is definitely more reliable than calling right now. You'll get a response within 3-5 business days usually, whereas phone wait times can be 2+ hours with no guarantee of reaching someone knowledgeable.
0 coins
Donna Cline
•this is really helpful info, thx for sharing. I'm at week 7 of review and was starting to panic
0 coins
Harper Collins
I've been dealing with tax headaches for years and finally found something that actually helps make sense of everything. I started using taxr.ai for my transcript and tax issues and it's been a game changer. Instead of spending hours trying to piece together what's happening with my taxes like some kind of detective, it actually explains everything clearly. For Michigan state taxes specifically, it helped me identify why my return was under review and what I needed to do. It's insanely good! I use it every week now for all my tax questions. Check it out: https://taxr.ai
0 coins
Kelsey Hawkins
•Sounds interesting. How exactly does it work? Does it just read your transcript or does it do more?
0 coins
Harper Collins
•It does WAY more than just read transcripts. It analyzes all your tax docs, explains every code and notice in plain english, shows exactly where things are in the process, and even gives personalized recommendations for your situation. It saved me hours of stress trying to figure out why my MI refund was delayed.
0 coins
Kelsey Hawkins
•Just tried taxr.ai and WOW. I've been struggling with Michigan tax problems for months and this tool immediately showed me exactly what was happening with my review status. Worth every penny! Can't believe I wasted so much time before finding this.
0 coins
Dylan Fisher
•is this some kind of ad? seems sus 🤔
0 coins
Harper Collins
•Not an ad lol. Just sharing what worked for me after weeks of frustration. Try it if you want or don't, up to you 🤷♂️
0 coins
Edwards Hugo
•just checked out taxr.ai and it's legit helpful for understanding state tax issues too, not just federal
0 coins
Gianna Scott
After battling with MI treasury for almost 9 weeks with my return stuck in 'review' I finally found a way to talk to an actual human. I used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to a real person at MI treasury within 20 minutes instead of waiting on hold forever. The agent explained exactly why my return was flagged for review (income verification issue) and processed it while I was on the phone. My refund was released 2 days later. Honestly, getting someone on the phone was the difference between waiting another month or getting it resolved immediately. Best money I've ever spent to finally talk to a live person who could help.
0 coins
Alfredo Lugo
•does that actually work for state tax departments too? I thought it was just for IRS
0 coins
Gianna Scott
•Yep it works for Michigan Treasury! They have options for both federal and state tax agencies. The callback feature saved me from having to redial 50 times a day trying to get through.
0 coins
Sydney Torres
•sounds too good to be true. why would they be able to get through when regular people cant?
0 coins
Gianna Scott
•They use some kind of automated system that keeps dialing until it gets through. I don't know the exact tech but all I know is I wasted days trying to call myself with no luck, then used Claimyr and had an agent on the phone within 20 min. My refund is already in my account now after being stuck for 9 weeks.
0 coins
Kaitlyn Jenkins
•OMG THANK YOU FOR THIS!! I just used Claimyr and finally got through to someone at MI Treasury after trying for weeks. They found my return and fixed an issue that was holding it up. Should have my refund next week! Talking to an agent got my refund released so fast 🙏
0 coins
Caleb Bell
Michigan resident here. Mine took exactly 10 weeks in review status and then suddenly was approved and deposited a few days later. Never received any communication or explanation of why it was reviewed. Just a waiting game unfortunately.
0 coins
Emma Morales
•Ugh 10 weeks sounds painful but at least you eventually got it. Did you do anything to speed it up or just wait?
0 coins
Caleb Bell
•Just waited it out. I tried calling a few times but could never get through, and eventually gave up and just checked the status every few days. It was frustrating but eventually resolved itself.
0 coins
Danielle Campbell
I filed in March and my MI refund went to review status for over 9 weeks. I finally received a letter asking for wage verification (which made no sense because my employer definitely reported everything correctly). I uploaded the requested docs through Michigan Treasury Online and then it took another 3 weeks to process after that. Total time was about 3 months from filing to refund. The Michigan tax system is broken this year.
0 coins
Rhett Bowman
I'm on week 13 of a review for michigan state taxes. no letter. no explanation. absolutely ridiculous. the system is a joke.
0 coins
Abigail Patel
•THIRTEEN WEEKS??? oh hell no 😡 that's straight up theft at this point
0 coins
Rhett Bowman
•Tell me about it. And they dont pay interest until after 45 days which is a joke considering how long these reviews are taking. Michigan owes me $2,189 and I'm about ready to drive to lansing and camp out until they give me my money lol
0 coins
Daniel White
My MI state refund was under review for 7 weeks. I found out it was because I had moved mid-year and they were verifying my address. Once I uploaded my driver's license through their online system it was processed within 5 days. Check if you need to verify your identity or address - that's a common reason for reviews.
0 coins
Emma Morales
•How did you find out that was the reason? Did they send you a letter?
0 coins
Daniel White
•Got a letter about 6 weeks in asking to confirm identity. But the letter arrived after they had already put me in review status for weeks with no explanation. Really frustrating communication.
0 coins
Nolan Carter
Different state but similar issue with NY taxes. Was under review for 11 weeks and finally got my refund. These state tax departments are severely understaffed and using outdated fraud detection systems that flag legitimate returns all the time. Hang in there.
0 coins
Natalia Stone
The Michigan Department of Treasury is a complete disaster this year. They've admitted they're dealing with a massive backlog and increased fraud prevention measures. I finally reached someone after using claimyr.com and they told me they have thousands of returns stuck in manual review with not enough staff to process them. It was the only way I could talk to a live agent. The agent was actually super helpful once I finally got through and released my refund while I was on the phone with them.
0 coins
Tasia Synder
•I keep hearing about this claimyr thing. does it actually work? seems weird that they can get through but we cant
0 coins
Natalia Stone
•It absolutely works. They use some automated system that basically handles the hours of busy signals and hold times for you. When they get through, they call you back and connect you. I was skeptical too but was desperate after 7 weeks of waiting. Talking to an actual person solved my issue in minutes.
0 coins
Selena Bautista
Pro tip: if you're still waiting after 45 days from when you filed, Michigan is required to pay you interest on your refund. So at least you'll get a little extra for the wait.
0 coins
Mohamed Anderson
•The interest is like 5% annually, so on a $1,400 refund that's only about $5-6 per month. Not exactly making up for the hassle 🙄
0 coins
Selena Bautista
•True but better than nothing I guess. Taking our money interest-free is essentially an interest-free loan to the government.
0 coins
Emma Morales
•I didn't know about the interest thing, thanks for mentioning that. At least that's something.
0 coins
Ellie Perry
my michigan return was in review for 11 weeks this year. it was pure hell and they never told me why. i tried calling 25+ times and couldnt get through. finally just showed up in my account one day with no explanation. the system is fubar
0 coins
Landon Morgan
After spending hours trying to figure out what was happening with my Michigan tax review, I used taxr.ai and it completely changed my experience. It analyzed my situation, explained what the review likely meant based on my specific return details, and gave me step-by-step instructions on what to do. It even generated a letter I could send to MI Treasury to expedite the process. Highly recommend checking it out: https://taxr.ai
0 coins
Teresa Boyd
•another ad for this taxr thing? 🙄
0 coins
Landon Morgan
•Not an ad, just sharing what worked for me. I was stuck in review for almost 2 months before I found something that actually helped. Take it or leave it.
0 coins
Lourdes Fox
•I actually just tried taxr.ai too after seeing it mentioned and it immediately identified that my MI review was likely due to an income mismatch. Turns out one of my 1099s had been reported differently. Fixed it and my refund was processed a week later!
0 coins
Bruno Simmons
I've lived in Michigan all my life and the state tax department has NEVER been this slow. My parents, my sister and I all filed around the same time in March. My parents got their refund in 2 weeks, my sister is still in review (12 weeks now), and mine took 9 weeks in review. There's no rhyme or reason to their process this year.
0 coins
Aileen Rodriguez
Try contacting your state representative! After 8 weeks of "review" with no explanation, I reached out to my Michigan state rep's office. They have special contacts at the treasury department and were able to inquire about my return. Got my refund 10 days after they intervened.
0 coins
Emma Morales
•Wow thats a great idea, I never thought of that approach. Did you just call their office?
0 coins
Aileen Rodriguez
•Most have contact forms on their websites. I filled that out with my info and brief explanation, and their constituent services person called me back the next day. They asked for my info and permission to inquire about my taxes, then followed up a week later saying they'd made contact with treasury.
0 coins
Zane Gray
Michigan resident here. Mine was under review for 9 weeks, then randomly approved with no explanation. Pretty standard for MI these days unfortunately.
0 coins
Maggie Martinez
I always get flagged for review by Michigan becaus I work remotely for an out-of-state company. This year was 11 weeks of review. Last year was 13 weeks. It's ridiculous but seems to be their normal process now.
0 coins
Zoe Papanikolaou
I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Filed my Michigan state return in early March and it's been stuck in review for 10 weeks with zero communication. My federal refund came through fine weeks ago too. It's so frustrating not knowing what's causing the delay or how much longer it might take. Reading through all these responses, it sounds like 8-12 weeks is becoming the new "normal" which is absolutely ridiculous. I think I'm going to try the secure messaging through Michigan Treasury Online since calling seems to be a waste of time. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - at least I know I'm not alone in this mess!
0 coins
Miles Hammonds
•You're definitely not alone! I'm in almost the exact same boat - filed in early April and been stuck in review for 6+ weeks now. It's so frustrating that Michigan doesn't give any explanation or timeline. Based on what everyone's shared here, it sounds like the secure messaging through Michigan Treasury Online is worth trying since the phone lines are basically useless. At least we know from other people's experiences that these reviews do eventually get processed, even if it takes way longer than it should. Hang in there!
0 coins
Jenna Sloan
I'm dealing with this exact same situation! Filed my Michigan state return in mid-March and it's been stuck in "review" status for 8 weeks now. No letter, no explanation, just the same generic message every time I check. My federal refund came through in less than 3 weeks with no issues whatsoever. It's really frustrating seeing how inconsistent Michigan's processing is - some people get their refunds in 2 weeks while others are waiting 3+ months for no apparent reason. I've tried calling multiple times but can never get through to anyone who can actually help. The automated system just tells me to keep waiting. Based on what everyone's shared here, it sounds like I need to be patient for at least a few more weeks, but I'm definitely going to try the secure messaging through Michigan Treasury Online. At least that seems more reliable than the phone system. Thanks for posting this - it's oddly comforting to know so many others are going through the same thing!
0 coins
Keisha Taylor
•I feel your pain! I'm currently at week 9 of review status with Michigan and it's beyond frustrating. What's really annoying is how they provide zero transparency about what's causing the delay or how long it might take. At least with the IRS you can usually get some idea of what's happening, but Michigan just leaves you completely in the dark. I ended up trying that secure messaging system everyone mentioned and actually got a response within 4 days. They couldn't give me a timeline but at least confirmed my return was in the queue and didn't require any additional documentation from me. It's not much but better than the complete silence from the phone system. Definitely worth trying if you haven't already! The whole situation is just ridiculous - we shouldn't have to wait 2-3 months for money that's rightfully ours. Hope yours gets processed soon!
0 coins
Isabella Santos
I'm in the exact same situation! Filed my Michigan return in late March and it's been stuck in review for 7 weeks now with absolutely no communication from them. My federal refund came through perfectly fine in under 2 weeks, but Michigan just keeps saying "still under review" every time I check. What's really frustrating is the complete lack of transparency - they don't tell you why it's being reviewed, what they're looking for, or even a rough timeline. I've been checking my mail religiously but haven't received any letters asking for additional documentation. Reading through everyone's experiences here, it sounds like 8-12 weeks is unfortunately becoming the norm this year, which is just insane. I'm definitely going to try the secure messaging through Michigan Treasury Online since so many people have had better luck with that than calling. Thanks for posting this - it's somewhat reassuring to know I'm not the only one dealing with this mess, even though it shouldn't take this long to get our own money back!
0 coins
NeonNinja
•I'm right there with you! Filed mine in early April and I'm at 6 weeks in review now. It's honestly maddening how Michigan provides zero communication about what's happening or why. At least with other states you might get some kind of update, but Michigan just leaves you completely hanging. I've been following this thread and it seems like the secure messaging really is the way to go - so many people have gotten actual responses that way compared to the phone system which is basically useless. I'm going to try that this week since I'm hitting the 6+ week mark. It's crazy that we're all dealing with the same thing and Michigan just acts like this is normal. Really hoping both of ours get processed soon because this waiting game is exhausting!
0 coins
GamerGirl99
I'm dealing with the exact same frustrating situation! Filed my Michigan state return in mid-April and it's been stuck in review for 5 weeks now. Like you, I got the acceptance confirmation right away, then it switched to "under review" a couple weeks later with zero explanation. What's really annoying is the complete lack of communication - no letter, no timeline, just the same generic "still being reviewed" message every time I check. My federal refund came through weeks ago with no problems, so it's clearly something specific to Michigan's system. From reading everyone's experiences here, it sounds like 8-12 weeks has unfortunately become the new normal this year, which is absolutely ridiculous. I'm planning to try the secure messaging through Michigan Treasury Online since so many people have had better luck with that than trying to call. Thanks for starting this thread - it's oddly comforting to know so many of us are going through the same ordeal, even though we shouldn't have to wait months for our own money back!
0 coins
Zainab Khalil
•I'm in a similar boat - filed my Michigan return in early May and just hit the 3 week mark in review status. Reading through everyone's experiences here is both helpful and terrifying! It sounds like I might be in for a long wait ahead. The lack of communication from Michigan really is the worst part - at least if they told us what they were looking for or gave some kind of timeline estimate, it would be less stressful. I'm definitely going to bookmark that secure messaging option for when I hit the 6+ week mark. Thanks for sharing your experience and hopefully we all get our refunds soon!
0 coins
Yara Nassar
I'm currently dealing with this exact same nightmare! Filed my Michigan state return in early April and I'm now at 7 weeks stuck in review status with zero communication. Like so many others here, my federal refund came through quickly with no issues, but Michigan just keeps showing the same "under review" message with no explanation. What's really frustrating is how inconsistent their system seems to be - some people get processed in 2 weeks while others wait 3+ months for seemingly identical situations. I've tried calling multiple times but can never get through to anyone who can actually help. Based on all the experiences shared here, I'm going to try the secure messaging through Michigan Treasury Online since that seems to be the most reliable way to get an actual response. It's ridiculous that we have to wait this long for our own money, but at least this thread shows we're not alone in dealing with Michigan's broken system. Thanks everyone for sharing your timelines and suggestions - it really helps to know what to expect even though the whole situation is frustrating!
0 coins
TillyCombatwarrior
•I'm going through the exact same thing! Filed my Michigan return in late March and I'm now at 8 weeks in review with absolutely no communication from them. It's so frustrating how they just leave us completely in the dark with no timeline or explanation. I've been checking my mail constantly but haven't received any letters requesting additional info, so I'm assuming it's just stuck in their backlog like everyone else's. Based on what I'm reading here, it sounds like the secure messaging through Michigan Treasury Online really is the best option since the phone system seems to be a complete waste of time. I'm definitely going to try that approach this week. Thanks for sharing your experience - it's oddly reassuring to know we're all dealing with the same broken system, even though none of us should have to wait months for money that's rightfully ours!
0 coins
Mateo Sanchez
I'm going through the exact same frustrating experience! Filed my Michigan state return in late March and I'm currently at 9 weeks stuck in review status with zero explanation. Like everyone else here, my federal refund came through weeks ago with no problems, but Michigan just keeps showing that generic "under review" message. What really gets me is the complete lack of transparency - no letter explaining why it's being reviewed, no timeline estimates, nothing. I've been checking my mailbox religiously but haven't received any requests for additional documentation. Reading through all these experiences, it's clear that 8-12 weeks has become the unfortunate new normal for Michigan this year, which is absolutely unacceptable. I'm definitely going to try the secure messaging through Michigan Treasury Online since so many people have had better luck with that approach compared to the useless phone system. It's both comforting and infuriating to see so many of us dealing with the same broken system. We shouldn't have to wait months for our own money back! Thanks for starting this thread - at least now I know what to expect and that I'm not alone in this mess.
0 coins
Yuki Ito
•I'm dealing with this same frustrating situation! Filed my Michigan return in mid-April and I'm at 6 weeks in review now. The lack of communication is honestly the worst part - at least if they told us what was causing the delay or gave some kind of estimated timeline, we could plan accordingly. But this radio silence approach is just cruel. I've been following this thread closely and it seems like the secure messaging through Michigan Treasury Online really is our best bet since calling is basically pointless. It's insane that we're all just stuck waiting months for money that belongs to us while Michigan provides zero accountability or transparency about their broken process.
0 coins
Taylor To
I'm in the exact same boat! Filed my Michigan state return in mid-April and I'm now at 7 weeks stuck in review with absolutely zero communication from them. My federal refund came through in less than 3 weeks, but Michigan just keeps showing that same useless "under review" message every time I check. What's really driving me crazy is how they provide absolutely no transparency about what's happening or why. No letter, no timeline estimate, nothing. I've been checking my mail religiously thinking maybe I missed something, but nope - just complete radio silence from Michigan Treasury. After reading through everyone's experiences here, it's both reassuring and terrifying to see that 8-12+ weeks seems to be the new "normal" this year. That's completely unacceptable - we shouldn't have to wait months for our own money back! I'm definitely going to try the secure messaging through Michigan Treasury Online since so many people have had actual success with that compared to the phone system (which seems to be a complete joke). Thanks for posting this - it really helps to know we're not alone in dealing with Michigan's broken system, even though none of us should have to go through this nightmare!
0 coins
Paolo Bianchi
•I'm going through the exact same nightmare right now! Filed my Michigan return in early May and just hit the 4 week mark in review status. Reading everyone's experiences here is both helpful and absolutely terrifying - the idea that I might be waiting another 2+ months for my refund is just insane. What really bothers me is how Michigan provides zero accountability or communication about their process. Like you said, at least give us some kind of timeline or explanation! The fact that they can just hold our money indefinitely with no updates is honestly infuriating. I'm definitely going to bookmark that secure messaging option for when I hit the longer wait times. It's crazy that we all have to become detective-researchers just to figure out how to get our own money back from the state. Thanks for sharing your experience - it really does help to know we're all suffering through this together, even though the whole situation is completely unacceptable!
0 coins
Nia Watson
I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now! Filed my Michigan state return in late April and I'm currently at 5 weeks stuck in review status with zero explanation from them. Like everyone else here, my federal refund processed quickly with no issues, but Michigan just shows that same generic "under review" message every time I check. The complete lack of communication is what's driving me the most crazy - no letter, no timeline, no explanation of what they're even reviewing. I've been checking my mail constantly thinking I might have missed something, but nothing. After reading through all these experiences, it's clear that waiting 8-12+ weeks has unfortunately become the new normal for Michigan this year, which is absolutely ridiculous. We shouldn't have to wait months for our own money! I'm going to try the secure messaging through Michigan Treasury Online since so many people here have had better luck with that than trying to call. Thanks for starting this thread - it's both reassuring and frustrating to see how many of us are dealing with Michigan's broken system. At least we know we're not alone in this mess, even though none of us should have to go through it!
0 coins
Ravi Kapoor
•I'm in almost the exact same situation! Filed my Michigan return in early May and just hit week 3 of review status. Reading through everyone's experiences here is both eye-opening and honestly pretty scary - the thought of potentially waiting 2-3 months for my refund is just wild. What really gets me is how Michigan can just hold onto our money with absolutely zero communication or accountability. Like, at minimum they could send an automated email saying "hey, your return is taking longer than usual, here's approximately when to expect an update" - but instead we get complete radio silence. I'm definitely saving all these suggestions about the secure messaging system for when I hit the longer wait times. It's crazy that we have to crowdsource information like this just to figure out how to get our own money back from the state. Thanks for sharing your timeline - it really helps to know what to expect even though the whole situation is completely unacceptable!
0 coins
Liam Cortez
I'm going through the exact same frustrating experience right now! Filed my Michigan state return in mid-March and I'm currently at 10 weeks stuck in review status with absolutely no communication from them. Like so many others here, my federal refund came through in under 3 weeks with zero issues, but Michigan just keeps showing that same useless "under review" message. What's really infuriating is the complete lack of transparency - no letter explaining what's being reviewed, no timeline estimates, nothing. I've been religiously checking my mail thinking maybe I missed a notice, but there's been complete radio silence from Michigan Treasury. After reading through everyone's experiences, it's both reassuring and terrifying to see that 8-12+ weeks has become the "new normal" this year. That's absolutely unacceptable - we shouldn't have to wait months for our own money while they provide zero accountability! I'm definitely going to try the secure messaging through Michigan Treasury Online since so many people have had actual success with that compared to the phone system (which sounds like a complete waste of time). Thanks for posting this Emma - it really helps to know we're not alone in dealing with Michigan's completely broken system, even though none of us should have to endure this nightmare!
0 coins
Isabella Costa
•I'm so sorry you're going through this too! 10 weeks is absolutely ridiculous - that's basically 2.5 months of them just holding onto your money with zero explanation. I'm only at 6 weeks and already feeling frustrated, so I can't imagine how infuriating it must be at 10 weeks. The fact that Michigan can just do this with no accountability really shows how broken their system is. I'm definitely going to try that secure messaging approach before I hit your timeline - hopefully that works better than this waiting game. Thanks for sharing your experience and hang in there! 🤞
0 coins
Tami Morgan
I'm dealing with this exact same nightmare! Filed my Michigan return in early April and I'm currently at 8 weeks stuck in review with zero communication from them. Like everyone else here, my federal came through fine weeks ago, but Michigan just keeps showing that generic "under review" message. What's really frustrating is reading through all these experiences and seeing how completely random their process seems to be - some people wait 2 weeks, others wait 3+ months for seemingly identical situations. The lack of any communication or timeline is just cruel. Based on everyone's suggestions here, I'm going to try the secure messaging through Michigan Treasury Online this week since calling seems to be a complete waste of time. It's insane that we have to crowdsource solutions just to get our own money back from the state! Thanks for posting this Emma - it's both comforting and infuriating to see how many of us are stuck in the same broken system. Hopefully we all get our refunds soon because this waiting game is exhausting! 🤞
0 coins
Ellie Simpson
•I'm in the exact same situation! Filed my Michigan return in late April and I'm at 6 weeks in review now. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been both helpful and honestly pretty depressing - it's crazy how Michigan can just hold onto our money for months with zero transparency or accountability. What really gets me is how inconsistent their process seems to be. Some people get processed in weeks while others are stuck for 3+ months with no explanation. I'm definitely going to try that secure messaging approach since calling seems pointless. Thanks for sharing your timeline - at least we know we're not alone in this mess, even though none of us should have to deal with it! 🙄
0 coins