"Action Required" Message on IRS Refund Status: 2024 Return Under Review, Waiting for Possible Notice

The IRS Where's My Refund tool is showing an "Action Required" status at sa.www4.irs.gov for your 2024 tax return. The timestamp shows you checked at 8:13, and the system is displaying their standard review notification message. What's important to understand is that this message appears when the IRS has initiated their verification process. The key phrases in the OCR are: - "We received your tax return and are reviewing it" - "If we need additional information, we'll mail a notice" - "If we determine no additional information is needed, we'll continue to process your refund" This type of review status is actually quite common - approximately 30% of tax returns receive this message during processing. The IRS uses it when they're conducting standard verification checks on items like income, dependents, or claimed credits. The good news is you don't need to take any immediate action. The system clearly states they will mail you a notice if they need anything specific. Without such a notice, you just need to wait while they complete their review process. Keep checking your physical mail regularly, as any requests for additional documentation will come through postal mail, not through the online system.

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in the same boat rn. this is my third year getting this message smh

dont stress it fam, got the same message last year and got my refund 3 weeks later without having to do anything

IRS and their cryptic messages are getting old tbh. Like just tell us what you need 🤦‍♂️

check ur transcripts, usually gives more details than wmr

I've been through this exact same situation! Got the "Action Required" message last year and was panicking for weeks. Here's what I learned - this message usually appears when the IRS is doing routine verification checks on things like your W-2s, dependents, or tax credits. In most cases, they don't actually need anything from you and the review completes automatically. The key is NOT to call them unless you actually receive a paper notice in the mail asking for specific documents. Calling just clogs up their phone lines and the representatives often can't tell you anything more than what's already on the website. I know it's nerve-wracking when you're counting on that refund money, but try to be patient. Keep checking your mail daily for any actual notices, and the Where's My Refund tool will update once they finish their review. Mine took about 4 weeks total but I got my full refund without having to send them anything. Hang in there! 💪

I got this same "Action Required" message about 3 weeks ago and just wanted to give you an update on what happened in my case. Like others mentioned, I didn't receive any actual notice in the mail during those weeks, just kept seeing that same message on WMR. Then yesterday, my status finally updated to "Your refund has been approved" with a direct deposit date! So in my experience, they really did just need to complete their internal review process without requiring any additional documents from me. The waiting is definitely stressful, especially when you're depending on that money, but try not to read too much into the generic language they use. That "Action Required" heading is misleading - it's more like "Review in Progress" would be more accurate. Just keep checking your physical mail in case they do need something, but chances are good it'll resolve on its own like mine did.

I'm in the exact same situation right now - got the "Action Required" message yesterday and have been spiraling ever since! Reading through everyone's experiences here is honestly the most helpful thing I've found online about this. The IRS website is so vague with their wording. It's really comforting to see that most people who got this message ended up getting their refunds without having to do anything. @Ethan Moore your update especially gives me hope that this will resolve on its own. I think I need to stop checking WMR multiple times a day and just focus on checking my physical mailbox instead. Has anyone noticed if there are certain things that trigger this review more often? I claimed the Child Tax Credit for the first time this year so wondering if that's what flagged mine for review. Either way, sounds like patience is key here even though it's torture when you're waiting on that money! 😅

I went through this exact same situation last tax season and totally understand the anxiety! That "Action Required" message is honestly so misleading - it should really say "Review in Progress" instead because in most cases you don't actually need to take any action. From my experience and what I've seen in this community, the IRS uses this status when they're doing routine verification checks on things like W-2 matching, dependent verification, or credit eligibility. The key thing is they explicitly tell you they'll MAIL you a notice if they need anything specific from you. Since you just got this message and haven't received any mail yet, you're likely in the automatic review phase where they're just cross-checking your information internally. I know it's tempting to call them, but honestly their phone reps can't tell you anything more than what's already on the website. My advice: check your physical mailbox daily for any actual notices, but try to resist the urge to check WMR obsessively (I know, easier said than done!). Most people in your situation get their refund within 2-6 weeks without having to do anything. The waiting is the hardest part, but you're definitely not alone in this! 🤞

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Got that "Action Required" message two days ago and have been a nervous wreck ever since. Reading through everyone's experiences here is honestly the most reassuring thing I've found online about this situation. It's really helpful to see that so many people got this message and ended up receiving their refunds without having to send any additional documents. The wording on the IRS website is so anxiety-inducing - like @Justin Chang said, "Review in Progress" would be so much better than "Action Required"! I've been checking WMR obsessively but I think I need to follow everyone's advice and just focus on checking my physical mail instead. The fact that they specifically say they'll mail a notice if they need anything gives me some peace of mind that no mail = no action needed right now. @Holly Lascelles I totally feel you on being nervous about this when you're counting on that refund money. Fingers crossed we both get through this review process smoothly! Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences - it really helps to know we're not alone in this stressful waiting game. 🤞

I'm dealing with the exact same "Action Required" message right now and honestly, this thread has been more helpful than anything I've found on the IRS website! That wording is so misleading - it makes it sound like you need to drop everything and send them documents immediately. What really stood out to me is how everyone keeps emphasizing that the IRS explicitly states they'll MAIL you if they actually need anything. I keep going back to re-read that part of the message because it's the only thing that keeps me from panicking completely. No mail = no action needed from us right now. @Holly Lascelles I totally get counting on that refund money and feeling nervous about delays. The waiting is definitely the hardest part, but seeing all these success stories where people got their refunds after 2-6 weeks without having to do anything is really encouraging. I think I'm going to follow everyone's advice and stop obsessively checking WMR (guilty of checking like 15 times today already 😅). Going to focus on just checking my physical mailbox and trying to be patient. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - knowing this is so common makes it way less scary!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now and honestly, this thread is like therapy for my tax anxiety! Got the "Action Required" message three days ago and have been checking WMR probably 20+ times a day since then (I know, I know... 🤦‍♀️). What really helps is seeing so many people emphasize that key phrase about them mailing a notice if they actually need something. I keep screenshot that part of the message to remind myself that no mail = I'm good for now. The IRS website language is honestly terrible - "Action Required" makes it sound like there's some urgent deadline when really it's just their standard review process. @Holly Lascelles I totally feel you on needing that refund money and getting nervous about delays. But reading through all these success stories where people waited 2-6 weeks and got their full refund without sending any documents is really reassuring. It seems like this is way more common than we realize! I'm going to try to follow everyone's advice and stop the obsessive WMR checking (famous last words lol). Going to focus on just checking my physical mailbox daily and maybe limit myself to checking WMR once a week max. We're all in this waiting game together! 💪

I'm in the exact same boat right now! Got that "Action Required" message yesterday and have been refreshing WMR every hour since then like it's going to magically change 😅 This thread has been such a relief to find - the IRS website makes it sound so ominous with that "Action Required" heading when really it's just their standard review process. What's giving me the most comfort is that phrase everyone keeps mentioning: "we'll mail a notice with further instructions." No notice in the mail = no actual action needed from us right now. I was literally about to start calling the IRS tomorrow but after reading everyone's experiences, I'm going to hold off unless I actually get something in the mail. Seems like calling just wastes time and they can't tell you anything more than what's already online anyway. @Holly Lascelles I totally get the anxiety when you're counting on that refund! But seeing people like @Ethan Moore come back with success stories after a few weeks without having to send any documents is really encouraging. Sounds like we just need to master the waiting game and resist the urge to check WMR 50 times a day (easier said than done I know!). Hang in there! 🙏

I just went through this exact same situation about 6 weeks ago and wanted to share my experience to hopefully ease some anxiety! Got that dreaded "Action Required" message and immediately started panicking, thinking I'd made some major error on my return. Like everyone else here, I was checking WMR obsessively (sometimes hourly - not proud of it! 😅). But after finding threads like this one, I realized that the key really is in that specific language: "If we need additional information, we'll mail a notice with further instructions." In my case, I never received any mail from the IRS. After about 4 weeks of that "Action Required" status, it suddenly updated to "Your refund has been approved" with a direct deposit date. Got my full refund exactly when they said I would, no documents needed, no phone calls required. I know the waiting is absolutely torture, especially when you're depending on that money, but try to remember that this message appears for routine verification checks way more often than actual problems. The IRS is just cross-referencing your information with what they have on file. If they actually needed something from you, you'd have a specific notice in your mailbox by now. My advice: check your mail daily, but try to limit WMR checking to maybe once or twice a week max. I know it's easier said than done, but that obsessive checking just makes the anxiety worse. You're going to get through this! 💪

I'm going through this exact same thing right now! Just got the "Action Required" message this morning and immediately started spiraling about what could be wrong with my return. This thread has been such a lifesaver - way more helpful than the vague information on the IRS website. What's really giving me peace of mind is seeing so many people emphasize that key phrase: "If we need additional information, we'll mail a notice with further instructions." It seems like that's the golden rule - no mail means no actual action needed from us right now, despite the scary "Action Required" heading. @Ana Erdoğan your success story is exactly what I needed to hear! Knowing that you went through 4 weeks of this same status and got your full refund without ever receiving mail or having to send documents is incredibly reassuring. I was about to start gathering every tax document I own thinking I'd need to submit something, but it sounds like patience is really the key here. I'm definitely guilty of the obsessive WMR checking already (probably 10+ times since this morning 😅), but I'm going to try to follow everyone's advice and limit it to maybe once a week while focusing on checking my mailbox daily instead. The waiting is going to be torture, but seeing all these success stories gives me hope that this is just routine verification that will resolve automatically. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is amazing for tax anxiety! 🙏

I'm dealing with the exact same "Action Required" message right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful! Just got it yesterday and have been checking WMR way too many times already (guilty as charged 😅). What's really striking me is how consistent everyone's experience seems to be - that key phrase about "we'll mail a notice if we need additional information" appears to be the most important part to focus on. It's reassuring to see so many people like @Ana Erdoğan and @Ethan Moore come back with success stories after a few weeks without having to send any documents. The IRS really needs to change that "Action Required" wording because it's so misleading! Makes it sound urgent when it's really just their standard verification process. I was about to start calling them tomorrow but after reading everyone's advice about how phone reps can't tell you anything more than what's online, I think I'll hold off unless I actually get something in the mail. Thanks to everyone sharing their real experiences - it's way more helpful than the vague info on the IRS website. Going to try to be patient and limit my WMR checking to maybe once a week while focusing on daily mail checks instead. The waiting is going to be tough but seeing all these positive outcomes gives me hope! 🙏