IRS Identity Verification Process - What to Expect and Timeline?
Filed my taxes and got a letter saying I need to verify my identity. Has anyone gone through this? How long did it take after verification to get your refund? Getting anxious since I really need this money.
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Marcus Patterson
Tax professional here - Identity verification is pretty common these days. You'll need to either verify online through ID.me or call the IRS verification hotline. Once verified, it typically takes 4-9 weeks for processing to complete. Make sure you have all your documents ready (ID, SSN card, W2s, etc) before starting the process.
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Eli Butler
•thank u! do u know if the 4-9 weeks starts from when u verify or from when u originally filed?
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Marcus Patterson
•From when you verify. The clock basically resets once you complete verification.
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Lydia Bailey
Hey everyone - just wanted to share something that helped me massively when I was stuck in verification. I used taxr.ai to analyze my transcript and it actually showed me exactly where I was in the verification process and when to expect my refund. Only costs a dollar and saved me hours of stress. https://taxr.ai
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Mateo Warren
•Is this legit? Seems to good to be true tbh 🤔
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Lydia Bailey
•100% legit! It analyzes every code on ur transcript and explains exactly whats happening. Way better than guessing or waiting on hold with IRS for hours
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Mateo Warren
•just tried it and OMG where has this been all my life?! Finally understand wtf is going on with my refund ðŸ˜
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Sofia Price
went thru this last month...id.me was a total nightmare took like 5 tries to get the video chat to work 🤮
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Alice Coleman
I verified 3 weeks ago and still nothing showing on WMR or my transcript... starting to lose hope fr fr
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Owen Jenkins
•same boat bestie 😩 this whole system is broken
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Lilah Brooks
Pro tip: if the online verification isnt working, call right when they open at 7am EST. I got through in 5 mins vs waiting 2+ hours later in the day
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Eli Butler
•MVP right here 👑 gonna try this tomorrow
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Jackson Carter
Took exactly 6 weeks after verification for me. hang in there!
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Kara Yoshida
I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Got my letter last week and honestly the whole process feels overwhelming. From what I've been reading here it sounds like the key is just being persistent and having all your documents ready. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences - makes me feel less alone in this stressful situation. Definitely going to try calling early morning like @Lilah Brooks suggested!
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Gabrielle Dubois
•You're definitely not alone in this! I just went through the same thing a couple months ago and yeah it's super stressful when you're depending on that refund. The early morning call tip is gold - I wish I had known that when I was dealing with it. Also make sure you have everything organized beforehand because they move pretty quickly once you get connected. The waiting is the worst part but it does eventually get resolved!
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Holly Lascelles
Just went through this exact same thing 2 months ago! The identity verification was definitely stressful but here's what I learned: 1) The ID.me route can be glitchy but if you have good internet and lighting it usually works on the 2nd try, 2) Keep checking your transcript every Friday - that's when most updates happen, 3) Once you see your 846 refund code appear, you'll typically get your money within 3-5 business days. The whole process from verification to refund took me about 5 weeks. Stay patient - I know it's hard when you need the money but it will come through!
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Diego Mendoza
•This is super helpful! The Friday transcript update tip is something I hadn't heard before - definitely going to start checking then instead of obsessively refreshing every day lol. Question though - when you say the 846 refund code appears, does that mean the money is basically guaranteed at that point or could there still be delays? Just trying to manage my expectations here since I'm really counting on this refund 😅
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