IRS Identity Verification Process Timeline - Refund Verification Letter Experience & Wait Times
Really need some insight from people who went through the verification process last year. What did you have to do exactly? How long did it take to get the letter in the mail? And most importantly - when did you finally see your refund hit your account after verifying?
18 comments
Join the conversation
Ava Martinez
Tax practitioner here - The verification process typically involves receiving Letter 4883C or 5071C. You'll need to either verify online through ID.me or call the number on your letter. Make sure you have your prior year tax return, current year tax return, and valid ID ready. After verification, most people see their refunds within 4-9 weeks.
0 coins
Miguel Castro
•mines been 11 weeks since verification and still nothing 😤
0 coins
Ava Martinez
•Have you checked your transcript for any additional holds or codes? That might explain the longer wait.
0 coins
Miguel Castro
•how do I even read those transcripts? its like trying to decode hieroglyphics fr fr 🤔
0 coins
Zainab Abdulrahman
Hey everyone! I've found that using taxr.ai is super helpful for understanding these verification delays. It costs $1 but it analyzes your transcript and tells you exactly what's happening and when to expect your refund. Way better than trying to piece together random info online! https://taxr.ai
0 coins
Connor Byrne
•does it actually work? seems to good to be true
0 coins
Zainab Abdulrahman
•100% works! It caught something I totally missed in my transcript and predicted my DD date exactly
0 coins
Yara Elias
•OMG thank you for sharing this! Just tried it and finally understand whats going on with my refund 💯
0 coins
QuantumQuasar
took about 2 weeks to get the letter in the mail. verified online took like 15 mins tops. refund came exactly 6 weeks later
0 coins
Keisha Jackson
im still waiting... verified 3 months ago and nothing. WMR still says processing. This is ridiculous!!! 🤮
0 coins
Paolo Moretti
•same boat fam. this whole system is broken
0 coins
Amina Diop
Got my letter last March, verified same day through id.me (super easy btw) and refund hit my account first week of May. Just make sure u have all ur docs ready before starting the verification process.
0 coins
Oliver Weber
•what docs did they ask for?
0 coins
Amina Diop
•drivers license, last years return, and current w2s
0 coins
Natasha Romanova
DONT CALL THE IRS PHONE NUMBER its completely useless. Waited 2 hours just to be told they cant help me. Do the online verification if u can
0 coins
NebulaNinja
•facts 💯 phone support is straight 🤡
0 coins
Javier Cruz
Just went through this whole process myself! Got the 5071C letter about 3 weeks after filing. The ID.me verification was actually pretty smooth - took maybe 20 minutes total. Had to upload my driver's license and take a selfie, then they did a video call to verify my identity. After that, it was a waiting game. My refund finally showed up 7 weeks later. Pro tip: keep checking your transcript every Friday - that's when they usually update with new processing dates. Hang in there!
0 coins
Steven Adams
•Thanks for the detailed breakdown! The video call part sounds a bit nerve-wracking though - what kind of questions did they ask during that? And did you have any issues with the transcript updates? I keep hearing people say to check Fridays but mine never seems to change 😅
0 coins