How to check Illinois state tax refund status? Been waiting 12 weeks

Illinois is notorious for slow refunds. Their "Where's My Refund" tool is basically useless once it gets stuck in processing. Here's what you can do: • Try calling right when they open at 8:00 AM (1-800-732-8866) • Use the taxpayer advocate service in Illinois if you're experiencing hardship • Double check that your direct deposit info was entered correctly • Make sure there weren't any errors on your return that might be causing a review • If it's been more than 90 days, you can request a taxpayer advocate I had this same issue last year and my refund took 16 weeks to process. They blamed it on "additional verification steps" but never sent any notices requesting information. Check your spam folder too, sometimes their communications end up there.

I had a similar issue and was totally confused by my Illinois tax refund status. I found this tool called taxr.ai that actually helped me understand my situation. It helped me see that my return was actually under review for identity verification (which the state website didn't tell me). The tool showed me exactly what documents I needed to provide and who to contact. Honestly saved me weeks of frustration and got my refund released within days after I submitted what they needed. Check it out at https://taxr.ai - it works for both federal and state tax issues.

After weeks of getting nowhere with my Illinois refund, I finally found a way to actually talk to a human! Used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me a callback from an Illinois revenue agent in about 30 minutes. The agent told me my return was flagged for a simple identity check that I never received notification about. Once I verified my identity, my refund was released within 5 days. Talking to an actual person instead of that useless automated system made all the difference. It was the best money I've ever spent to finally get answers about my $900 refund that had been stuck for months.

Illinois is broke af. They're probably slow walking refunds to help their cash flow situation. I'm in the same boat - filed in January and still no check. Same useless message about "processing" on their website.

I had the same issue with Illinois last year. What finally worked was sending an email to REV.TA@illinois.gov with my name, last 4 of SSN, and a brief description of the issue. Got a response in 3 days and my refund a week later. Worth a shot!

Did you file electronically? And did you claim any credits like Earned Income Credit or Education credits? Those usually trigger additional reviews and slow down processing. Also check if your bank info was entered correctly - sometimes refunds get rejected by banks and the state has to mail a check instead which adds weeks to the process.

i had this happen to me too!! after months of waiting I realized the status checker website only works properly on desktop browsers NOT mobile. Try checking from a computer instead of your phone - mine suddenly showed that they needed additional documentation but the mobile site never displayed this information 🤦‍♀️

Have you checked that the return was actually accepted? Sometimes it can look like it was transmitted but there was an error in the submission. Log back into whatever tax software you used and verify the status shows as "accepted" not just "submitted".

Unpopular opinion but have you tried going to an actual IL Department of Revenue office in person? Sometimes showing up in person is the only way to cut through the bureaucracy. There's an office in Chicago, Springfield, and a few other cities. Might be worth the trip if you're nearby and the refund amount is significant.

If you file paper returns, Illinois can take up to 6-8 months to process. I e-filed and have been waiting 4 months now. It's ridiculous but their processing times are way longer than they admit on their website.

So I learned the hard way that Illinois has this weird thing where they automatically flag returns for review if you've moved in the past year, changed jobs, or had a significant change in refund amount compared to prior years. Never tells you this on the website tho 🙄 Try calling 800-732-8866 and pressing 0 repeatedly when the automated system starts talking. Sometimes that will get you to a human.

Check ur mail carefully! Illinois sent me a letter requesting verification that I completely missed because it looked like junk mail. The envelope was very plain with just a tiny IL Dept of Revenue in the corner. My refund was held up for 2 months because of this and the online status never changed from "processing

I went through this nightmare with IL last year. After MONTHS of waiting, I discovered the issue was that my address had an apartment number and their system sometimes glitches with unit numbers. Try calling and see if they have the correct address on file. The online system is completely worthless.

Have u tried the IL Comptroller's office instead of the Dept of Revenue? Sometimes returns get approved by Revenue but get stuck in the Comptroller's office (they're the ones who actually cut the checks/send the money). Try this number: 1-800-877-8078

Yo I was in the exact same situation and couldn't get anyone on the phone. I used that Claimyr app (claimyr.com) that someone else mentioned and it was clutch. Got through to an agent who found that my return was flagged because I had a discrepancy with my property tax credit. Was able to fix it on the spot and got my refund 10 days later. Finding a way to talk to an actual human made all the difference. Their callback system saved me from hours on hold.

I'm dealing with the same frustrating situation! Filed my Illinois return in early March and it's been radio silence ever since. The "still being processed" message is basically meaningless at this point. One thing that helped me was creating a detailed timeline of when I filed, what I claimed, and any communications I've had with the state. I also started checking my credit report to make sure there wasn't any identity theft that might be causing delays. Have you tried reaching out to your state representative's office? Sometimes they can help cut through the bureaucracy when state agencies aren't being responsive. My friend had success with this approach last year when her refund was delayed for 5 months. Also, make sure you're keeping records of all your attempts to contact them - dates, times, reference numbers if they give you any. If this drags on much longer, you might need that documentation to file a complaint or seek assistance through other channels. The whole system is broken honestly. We're expected to file on time and pay penalties if we're late, but they can sit on our money for months with zero consequences. Hope you get some resolution soon!

I'm going through the exact same thing! Filed my Illinois return in February and I'm still stuck in processing limbo. The most frustrating part is that their website gives you absolutely no useful information - just that generic "still being processed" message that tells you nothing. From reading through all these comments, it sounds like there are several potential issues that could be causing the delay: - Address discrepancies (especially if you moved recently) - Identity verification requirements that they don't notify you about - Random manual reviews they're doing this year - Issues with credits or deductions triggering additional screening I'm going to try a few of the suggestions here - calling first thing in the morning at 8 AM, checking from a desktop computer instead of mobile, and looking more carefully through my mail for any notices that might have looked like junk mail. Has anyone had success with the taxpayer advocate service? I'm wondering if that might be worth trying since we're well past the normal processing timeframes at this point. It's ridiculous that we have to become private investigators just to get our own money back from the state!

I'm dealing with the exact same issue! Filed my Illinois return in late February and have been stuck in that "still being processed" purgatory for months now. It's incredibly frustrating when you can't get any real information about what's actually happening with your return. After reading through all these experiences, I'm going to try several approaches: 1. Calling right at 8 AM tomorrow using that 1-800-732-8866 number 2. Double-checking my mail for any plain envelopes that might have looked like junk mail 3. Verifying my address information is correct in their system 4. Considering reaching out to my state representative's office if the phone calls don't work The most infuriating part is how they expect us to file on time and pay penalties for any delays, but then they can sit on our refunds for months with zero accountability. The lack of transparency in their system is unacceptable. For what it's worth, I've been documenting every attempt to contact them with dates and times. If this drags on much longer, I'm definitely going to file a complaint and escalate through whatever channels are available. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences and solutions - it's helpful to know we're not alone in dealing with this broken system!