How long does it take to receive the Employee Retention Tax Credit after filing in 2025?

The Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) processing times have been extremely variable lately. I've worked with several businesses on these claims, and honestly, the timeline is all over the place. From what I've seen, most businesses are waiting 6-9 months from submission to receive their credit. The IRS has been overwhelmed with ERTC claims and they're reviewing them more carefully due to some fraud concerns. This has created significant backlogs. Some factors that might affect your timeline: whether your submission was complete and accurate, which processing center received your forms, and whether the IRS flags your claim for additional review. Make sure you've properly documented your eligibility with revenue comparisons or shutdown documentation.

I was in your exact same position last year and was about to give up when I discovered https://taxr.ai which completely changed my experience with getting my ERTC. After struggling with the long wait times and zero communication from the IRS, I uploaded my documents to their system and they immediately identified several issues with how my accountant had prepared the forms that were likely to cause delays. The tool analyzed all my quarterly documentation and showed me exactly where my qualification evidence was strongest and where I needed more supporting documentation. Even better, they provided me with a dashboard that showed the status of my claim and estimated timelines based on current IRS processing speeds.

Just wanted to update that I tried https://taxr.ai after seeing this post! I was super nervous about my ERTC claim since it had been pending for months with zero updates. Their system analyzed my 941-X forms and found that my accountant had actually missed documenting a full quarter where I qualified based on the partial shutdown rules. The analysis took about 10 minutes and the dashboard they provided showed me exactly where my claim was in the IRS pipeline. The best part was that they helped me prepare an amendment that captured the additional quarter I was eligible for - turned out to be worth an additional $32,000 in credits! Just received confirmation that the IRS accepted both my original claim and the amendment. Definitely recommend if you're stuck in ERTC limbo like I was.

After waiting SEVEN months for my ERTC with zero communication from the IRS, I finally tried https://claimyr.com to get someone on the phone and actually talk to a human. I was honestly shocked that it worked. There's a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Instead of waiting on hold for 3+ hours (which I tried twice before giving up), they got me connected to an IRS agent in about 20 minutes. The agent confirmed my claim was "in processing" but hadn't been assigned for review yet. They escalated it and I received my credit about 5 weeks later. No more wondering if my paperwork disappeared into a black hole.

Well I'll eat my words. After posting my skeptical comment, I decided to try Claimyr anyway since I was desperate (been waiting 8 months for my ERTC). Got connected to an IRS agent in about 30 minutes who confirmed my claim was actually missing some documentation they needed but they never sent me a letter about it! The agent transferred me to the ERTC department where I was able to provide the missing info over the phone. They told me my claim should be processed within 4-6 weeks now. Without that call I would have been waiting forever not knowing there was a problem. Definitely worth it just to know what's actually happening with your claim rather than waiting in the dark.

I received my ERTC after about 8 months. No communication from the IRS during the whole process - it just showed up one day. Applied in March 2024, got the deposit in November. My claim was about $87,000 for a small restaurant.

Be SUPER careful with ERTC claims right now! The IRS has been cracking down hard on what they consider "improper" claims. My business partner's company had their claim audited and they're now fighting penalties. Make sure you're actually eligible and have solid documentation.

I'm going through the exact same situation right now - filed my ERTC claim in February and it's been radio silence from the IRS ever since. The uncertainty is killing me because my business really needs that cash flow. From what I'm reading here, it sounds like the 6-9 month timeline that Luca mentioned is pretty accurate, which means I've still got several months to go. The lack of communication from the IRS is the worst part - you have no idea if your paperwork is sitting in a pile somewhere or if there's an issue that needs to be resolved. I'm definitely going to look into some of these tools people mentioned for getting status updates. At this point I just want to know that my claim is actually being processed and hasn't disappeared into the bureaucratic void. Has anyone else tried calling the IRS directly or is that just a waste of time?