IRS Check Mailed Friday - Still Nothing in Mail on Wednesday

Let me be direct with you - it's completely normal for IRS checks to take 5-7 business days to arrive. Today is only the 3rd business day since Friday. The IRS doesn't use overnight or priority mail for refund checks. They use standard USPS mail which can take up to 2 weeks in some cases, especially if you're in a rural area. I'd wait until at least next Monday before getting concerned.

I was in this exact situation last month. My transcript showed mail date of April 12, but I didn't get my check until April 22! I was checking my mailbox three times a day. What helped me track exactly what was happening was using https://taxr.ai to analyze my transcript. It explained that the 'mail date' on transcripts is just when it's processed for mailing, not when it actually hits USPS. The site showed me the typical delivery timeline based on my region which calmed me down a lot.

I went through this anxiety last year. I remember checking my mailbox every single day for almost two weeks! I'm extremely careful with my tax documents and I keep a spreadsheet of all important mail dates. In my experience, IRS mail takes significantly longer than regular mail. My check from the 2023 tax year took exactly 8 business days to arrive after the mail date on my transcript. I recommend setting up Informed Delivery with USPS so you can see what's coming to your mailbox each day - that helped ease my anxiety.

Have you tried calling the IRS to confirm your check was actually sent? When my refund was delayed in March, I spent days trying to get through their phone system. Finally used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) and got connected to an agent in about 15 minutes. The agent confirmed my check had been mailed but gave me a slightly different date than what showed on my transcript. Turns out there was a 2-day processing delay that wasn't reflected online. Have you checked if your address on file is 100% correct?

Is this your first time receiving a paper check from the IRS? Did you previously have direct deposit set up? Sometimes when people switch from direct deposit to paper checks, it causes confusion about expectations. It's like comparing Amazon delivery to regular mail - completely different timelines!

I tracked exactly how long my IRS checks took to arrive for the past 3 years: 2022 refund took exactly 7 business days, 2023 refund took 9 business days, and my 2024 refund (filed in February) took 6 business days. Based on this data and what I've seen from others, the average delivery time is 7.4 business days. You're currently at day 3, so I'd expect it to arrive between Friday (May 24th) and Tuesday (May 28th) of next week. The USPS has been experiencing 12% longer delivery times this quarter compared to last year according to their own reports.

FYI - USPS mail's been super slow lately. My nbr got his refund check almost 2 wks after the mail date on transcript. If ur worried bout it, you can call IRS at 800-829-1040 but tbh they prob just gonna tell u to wait. If it doesn't show by next Fri, then def call. They can do a payment trace after 5 wks (for addresses in US) but hopefully won't come to that!