IRS Return Stuck on "Received" Since January with New Processing Delay Message and Tax Topic 152

Just checked Where's My Refund at sa.www4.irs.gov at 2:40 today and got this concerning message showing on my screen: "We apologize, but your return processing has been delayed beyond the normal timeframe. You can continue to check back here for the most up to date information regarding your refund. We understand your tax refund is very important and we are working to process your return as quickly as possible." The status bars on the website show my return as "Return Received" but there's no progress on "Refund Approved" or "Refund Sent" yet - both of those status bars are still showing question marks. The IRS included "Tax Topic 152, Refund Information" under a section called "Helpful Information" related to my tax situation. I've been waiting since January (almost 3 months now!) and this message just updated today. At the bottom of the page, there's a note that says "For refund information, please continue to check here, or use our free mobile app, IRS2Go. Updates to refund status are made no more than once a day." The entire screen shows "Refund Status Results" at the top, with those three status bars (only "Return Received" is filled in), followed by the apology message, then the Tax Topic reference, and finally the note about checking back. There's also a section marked "Your personal tax information" with a + sign that I can expand for more details. Anyone else seeing this exact message on their Where's My Refund page? I'm getting worried about what's going on with my refund since there's been absolutely no movement on the approval and sent status bars. The message sounds like there's some kind of processing delay but doesn't explain why or how long it might take. This waiting and uncertainty is making me really anxious.

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29 comments

Dmitry Volkov

Look, if you filed in January and still stuck on received with Tax Topic 152, here's what's happening: The IRS is likely reviewing your return more thoroughly, especially if you claimed credits like EITC or CTC. This doesn't automatically mean there's a problem - it's just taking longer than usual. Right now, the best thing you can do is use tools that can give you more insight into what's actually happening behind the scenes. I've been recommending taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) to people stuck in similar situations - it analyzes your transcripts and gives you a really clear picture of where things stand and what to expect next. Way better than refreshing WMR every 5 minutes and getting nowhere.

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Sophia Rodriguez

This IRS refund status page shows your return is in the first stage of processing - "Received" - but hasn't progressed to "Refund Approved" or "Refund Sent" yet. The timestamp of 2:40 indicates your most recent check of the system. The delay message you're seeing, combined with Tax Topic 152, actually tells us a few important things: 1. Your return is in the system and being actively processed 2. You are eligible for a refund (Tax Topic 152 is specifically for refund-eligible returns) 3. Your return has been flagged for additional review beyond standard processing The presence of Tax Topic 152 isn't necessarily a red flag - it's standard for returns requiring additional verification. This could be triggered by: - Identity verification needs - Income verification - Credit claim reviews (especially for credits like EITC or Child Tax Credit) - Mathematical accuracy checks The IRS's note about checking either the website or IRS2Go app is important - since updates only happen once per day, checking multiple times daily won't show new information. The best approach is to check once daily, preferably at the same time you first filed your return. While the delay is frustrating, this status actually confirms your return is in process rather than lost or rejected.

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