IRS showing "Action Required" message for 3 weeks after accepting my return on 2/15 - no notice received yet

That "Action Required" message means they've flagged your return for review. It could be for identity verification, income verification, or they need to confirm something on your return. In most cases, they will send you a letter with instructions within 30 days. Your options right now are: 1) Wait for the letter to arrive - sometimes they take 2-3 weeks to send it out 2) Check your IRS transcript online if you have access - it might show specific codes that indicate what's happening 3) Call the IRS directly, though getting through is difficult Unfortunately, the Where's My Refund tool doesn't provide much detail during review processes. Don't panic though - this happens to many taxpayers and doesn't necessarily mean there's a problem with your return.

I had this exact same issue last year. I checked my transcripts and saw weird codes but couldn't figure out what they meant. I tried reading online about the codes but got so confused. I ended up using taxr.ai which basically read my transcript and explained exactly what was happening and why I was being delayed. It turned out I had a review flag because of a mis-match between what my employer reported and what I submitted. Once I knew what was happening, I could actually prepare for when the letter arrived. Saved me so much stress and guesswork. The transcript is honestly the only way to really know what's going on behind the scenes at the IRS, and taxr.ai makes it understandable. https://taxr.ai

I finally found a way to get through to a real person at the IRS after dealing with the SAME EXACT SITUATION. I used Claimyr.com and got a callback from an IRS agent within 15 minutes after weeks of not being able to get through. The agent told me my return was flagged because I claimed a credit they needed to verify, but the letter they sent got lost in the mail. Talking to an actual human got everything cleared up, and my refund was released within days. Saved me so much headache and I was able to figure out what was going on without waiting for another letter.

I had similar message couple weeks ago. The IRS says "Action Required" but doesnt say what action lol. How are we supposed to know what to do??? I ended up getting a letter 4883C for identity verification. You prolly got the same thing. You'll have to call them or verify online at idverify.irs.gov if you're eligible. Check that site to see if you can verify there, its WAY easier than calling them.

You need to check your transcripts. The refund app is practically useless. Your transcript will show exactly whats going on with your return and any hold codes. Google "IRS transcript" and make an account if you dont have one already.

the "action required" is basically saying theres something wrong with ur return and they need more info from u. but instead of telling u what info they need, they send a letter thats gonna take 2 weeks to arrive. i hate the IRS soooo much. the whole system is designed to be confusing and waste our time.

Im going through this EXACT thing right now. Filed Feb 8, accepted Feb 9, and got the action required message on WMR a week later. I finally got a letter on March 1 asking me to verify my identity. I did that yesterday and now just waiting again. Super annoying but at least I know what the hold up is now.

whatever you do DO NOT call the irs main number. it's impossible to get thru. i spent 5 hours on hold last week only to get disconnected. then i found out about claimyr.com which got me to an agent in 20 mins. they had flagged my return for review bc of some education credit issue but there was no letter sent yet. the agent cleared it up and my refund was processed next day.

i'm in the same boat as you right now. filed on Feb 10, accepted Feb 11, same message about action required. still haven't received any letters. i'm giving it one more week before i try calling them.

It sounds like you're dealing with an identity verification issue or possibly an income review. I recommend checking your IRS account transcripts - that will tell you much more than the Where's My Refund tool. Also, you might want to try the ID verify site directly (idverify.irs.gov) to see if that's the issue.

The IRS is a joke this tax season. I filed in January and just got my refund yesterday after dealing with the same message. They never sent me a letter but when I finally got through on the phone they said they were "verifying income information." Whatever that means. Keep checking your mail and your online account daily.

check your transcript!!!! wheres my refund is useless. your transcript will have codes that tell you exactly whats happening with your return.

This is happening to SO MANY PEOPLE this year including me. The IRS is overwhelmed and putting extra verification steps on tons of returns. It seems like they're verifying identities and income much more than previous years. Patience is key unfortunately. It sucks when you're counting on that money.

this is why i always file a paper return. electronic returns get flagged way more often for "review" by their stupid automated system. paper returns take longer but they get processed by humans.

Had this issue and it was because I claimed earned income credit. They flagged my return for verification but never sent a letter. I finally got through to them on the phone (it took 3 days of calling) and they released my refund after verifying my identity.

Don't count on IRS2Go or wheres my refund for accurate info. I recommend getting your transcript and using taxr.ai to help understand what's going on. Had this issue last year and the transcript showed the exact problem (identity verification needed) while WMR just had a vague message.

I went through this exact same situation last month! The "Action Required" message is frustrating because it doesn't tell you what action you need to take. In my case, it turned out to be identity verification - they needed me to confirm I was actually the person who filed the return. Here's what I'd recommend: 1. Check if you can verify your identity online at idverify.irs.gov - this is way faster than waiting for a letter 2. Get your tax transcript from the IRS website - it will show specific codes that indicate what's causing the delay 3. If you can't verify online, you'll likely need to wait for the letter (mine took about 3 weeks to arrive) The good news is that once you complete whatever verification they need, your refund usually processes pretty quickly. I got mine within a week after verifying my identity. Hang in there - I know it's stressful when you're counting on that money!

I'm dealing with the exact same situation right now! Filed on Feb 10th, accepted on Feb 13th, and I've been seeing that "Action Required" message for over two weeks now. No letter in the mail yet either. The most frustrating part is how vague the message is - they say they might need additional information but don't tell you what kind or give any timeline. I've been checking my mailbox obsessively every day hoping for some clarity. From reading everyone's experiences here, it sounds like this is unfortunately very common this tax season. I'm planning to check my transcript this weekend to see if there are any codes that might give me a clue about what's going on. The waiting is killing me since I really need this refund to catch up on some bills. Thanks for posting about this - it's somewhat comforting to know I'm not alone in this frustrating situation!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Filed Feb 11th, accepted Feb 14th, and I've had that "Action Required" message for almost 3 weeks. It's so maddening that they can't just tell us what they need instead of this vague message followed by waiting weeks for a letter. I finally broke down and checked my transcript yesterday using the IRS website, and it showed some codes that I couldn't decipher. Someone mentioned taxr.ai earlier in this thread so I gave it a try - turns out I have an identity verification flag on my account. At least now I know what's causing the delay instead of just sitting here wondering. The worst part is that the IRS website makes it sound like this review process is quick, but from what everyone is saying here it can take months. Really hoping my letter arrives soon so I can get this sorted out. Hang in there - sounds like most people eventually get their refunds once they complete whatever verification the IRS needs!

I'm dealing with this exact same frustrating situation! Filed on Feb 9th, accepted Feb 12th, and I've been stuck with that vague "Action Required" message for over 3 weeks now. No letter in the mail yet either. What's really annoying is how unhelpful that message is - they basically say "we might need something from you" but give zero specifics about what or when. I've been checking my mailbox religiously every day hoping for some actual information. Based on what everyone here is saying, it sounds like this is unfortunately super common this tax season. I'm planning to check my transcript this weekend to see if I can get any clues about what's causing the hold-up. The waiting is absolutely brutal when you're counting on that money for bills and expenses. Thanks for posting about this - it's oddly comforting to know so many others are in the same boat. Hopefully we all get our answers (and refunds!) soon!