How long does it usually take for your tax refund to be approved by IRS? I'm still waiting and getting anxious

Don't worry too much yet. While the IRS says they issue most refunds within 21 days, that's just a general timeframe, not a guarantee. Several factors can extend that processing time. Since you claimed the Earned Income Credit (EIC), that's almost certainly the reason for the delay. By law, the IRS cannot issue refunds involving EIC before mid-February, and even then, those returns typically take longer to process because they undergo additional review to prevent fraud. The "Where's My Refund" tool showing "Your return is being processed" is actually a good sign - it means your return was accepted and is in the system. If there were major problems, you'd likely see a different message.

I had the exact same frustration last year, until I found an AI tool that helped me understand exactly what was going on with my refund. I used https://taxr.ai which analyzes your tax documents and helps predict refund timelines based on your specific situation. I uploaded my return confirmation, and it identified that my EIC claim was causing the delay (like what the expert mentioned above). But what was super helpful was that it showed me the actual expected timeline for EIC claims in my state and explained the verification processes my return was going through. Gave me peace of mind instead of constantly checking the IRS site and seeing no updates.

Just wanted to follow up. I was totally skeptical about taxr.ai but decided to try it since my refund wait was driving me crazy. Actually pretty impressed! I uploaded my filing confirmation and it showed me why my return was taking longer than average (combination of EIC and having a side gig with 1099 income). The coolest part was it predicted I'd receive my refund between April 2-6, and sure enough it arrived on April 3rd. The timeline was way more accurate than the vague "still processing" message I kept getting from the IRS. The explanations about what happens during each stage of processing made the wait less stressful.

After waiting 7 weeks for my refund last year and getting nowhere with the IRS phone line, I discovered this service called Claimyr that actually gets you through to an IRS agent. I was skeptical but desperate. You go to https://claimyr.com and they basically navigate the IRS phone system for you, then call you when they have an agent on the line. I tried it when my refund was stuck for 2 months, and they got me connected to an IRS rep in about 20 minutes when I'd been trying for weeks on my own. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent was able to tell me that my return was flagged for a simple verification that they hadn't gotten around to yet, and they prioritized it after our call. Refund showed up a week later.

I need to eat my words from my earlier comment. After weeks of getting nowhere with the IRS on my own (kept hearing the "call volumes are high" message and getting disconnected), I caved and tried Claimyr yesterday. Not gonna lie, I was shocked when I got a call back within 45 minutes saying they had an IRS agent on the line. The agent confirmed my identity and then explained that my refund was delayed because they were verifying my W-2 information with my employer. Apparently something didn't match exactly. She put a note on my account to expedite the review. Without Claimyr I would've had no clue what was happening. Just got the status update today and my refund is finally approved. Would've saved myself 3 weeks of stress if I'd tried this sooner.

Something nobody mentioned yet - check your tax transcript on the IRS website instead of just the "Where's My Refund" tool! It often updates before the refund tool and has way more detailed info. You can see all the behind-the-scenes actions on your account. Go to IRS.gov, create an account if you don't have one (or log in), and request your 2024 Account Transcript. Look for codes like 570 (indicates a hold), 971 (notice sent), or the beautiful 846 code (refund issued) with a date next to it. This helped me track my refund last year when the regular tool was stuck on "processing" for weeks. The transcript showed me exactly what was happening.

I'm in the same boat! Filed Feb 8th, got the acceptance right away, but still waiting. Called IRS after 4 weeks and they said I'm under a "random review" whatever that means. They told me it could take up to 120 days!!! Has anyone ever been through a random review?

I'm in a similar situation - filed 4 weeks ago through H&R Block and still showing "processing" with a decent refund expected ($1,800). Like others mentioned, I also claimed EIC for the first time this year which seems to be the common thread for delays. What's been helpful for me is setting a realistic expectation. After reading through all these experiences, it sounds like EIC claims routinely take 6-8 weeks, not the standard 21 days. I've stopped checking the "Where's My Refund" tool daily since it just increases my anxiety. One thing that gave me some peace of mind was calling my tax preparer. They confirmed that delays for EIC claims are totally normal this year and that as long as you're not getting error messages or letters from the IRS, your refund is just in the extended review queue. Hang in there - sounds like most people eventually get their refunds, it just takes longer than we'd like!