IRS Said "Wait 180 Days and Expect a Letter" - Head of Household Tax Return Stuck in Processing With No Explanation

Tax pro here - This typically means they've flagged your return for review. The 180-day notice is standard procedure for manual reviews, identity verification, or income verification. Without more details about your return its hard to say exactly what triggered it. Did they mention any specific codes on your transcript?

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in the same boat fam... been waiting since february 😭

The IRS is such a joke fr fr... making us wait half a year just to get OUR money back 🤡

Check your mail everyday! That letter is important - could be cp05, 4883c, or 5071c. Different letters need different responses

ngl the fact they cant even tell u why on the phone is ridiculous

I went through this exact same thing last year! The 180-day wait is super frustrating but it's usually because they need to verify something on your return. In my case, it was actually only about 90 days before I got my refund, not the full 180. The letter they send will explain exactly what they need from you - could be income verification, dependent verification, or just a random review. Hang in there, most people don't actually wait the full 6 months even though that's what they tell you on the phone.

I'm going through something similar right now - been waiting about 3 months already and still just getting the generic "being processed" message. The 180-day timeline is so stressful when you're counting on that money. From what I've read, it's usually either income verification (especially if you're self-employed or have multiple W-2s) or dependent verification for Head of Household status. The letter should give you more details about what specifically they need. Try not to stress too much - like Sofia said, most people get resolved way before the 180 days. Keep checking your transcript online if you can access it, that usually updates before the phone reps know anything.

I'm dealing with the exact same situation right now - filed in February and got the same "wait 180 days" response when I called last month. The frustrating part is they can't tell you anything specific over the phone. From what I've learned lurking in these forums, the letter they're sending will have a notice number (like CP05 or 4883C) that explains what they need. Most people seem to get their refunds way before the 180 days, so try not to panic too much. The Head of Household status might have triggered additional verification since they're cracking down on that this year. Definitely check your transcript online if you can - it shows way more detail than the "Where's My Refund" tool.

Been through this myself and I know how stressful it is! The 180-day timeline is their worst-case scenario - most people get resolved much sooner. Since you're Head of Household, they're probably just verifying your dependents or income sources. The letter will have a specific notice code that tells you exactly what they need. In the meantime, definitely try to access your online transcript at irs.gov - it updates way more frequently than the "Where's My Refund" tool and will show any codes or flags on your account. Don't call back unless the letter asks you to - you'll just get the same generic response. Hang in there, you're definitely not alone in this!

I went through this exact situation last year with my Head of Household return! Got the same vague "wait 180 days" response and was freaking out. Turns out they were just verifying my dependent info since I claimed my nephew. The letter came about 6 weeks later (CP05 notice) asking for school records and birth certificate copies. Sent everything back and got my refund about 2 months after that - way less than the 180 days they warned about. The phone reps literally can't tell you specifics until the letter is generated, so don't stress about calling back. Just keep checking your transcript online for updates and watch your mailbox. Most HOH reviews resolve pretty quickly once you provide the docs they need.

I'm going through something very similar right now - filed in March and got the exact same response when I called two weeks ago. The "wait 180 days and expect a letter" line with zero explanation is so frustrating when you're depending on that refund! From what I've been reading in this community, it sounds like Head of Household returns are getting extra scrutiny this year. I've been checking my transcript online (way more helpful than the Where's My Refund tool) and it shows a review code but nothing specific yet. The waiting is brutal but these stories from people who actually got through the process are giving me hope that it won't actually take the full 6 months. Definitely going to start gathering potential documents they might ask for like school records and proof of support for my dependents. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it really helps to know we're not alone in this!

Going through the exact same thing right now! Filed as Head of Household in January and just got off the phone with the IRS yesterday - same vague "wait 180 days, expect a letter" response with zero explanation. It's so frustrating when you need that refund and they can't give you any specifics! But reading through all these comments is actually making me feel way better. Sounds like the 180 days is just their standard worst-case timeline and most people get resolved much sooner. I'm definitely going to check my transcript online tonight instead of relying on that useless "Where's My Refund" tool. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it really helps to know this is normal and that there's light at the end of the tunnel!

I'm currently dealing with this exact situation too! Filed Head of Household in early February and got the same frustrating phone response last week - "wait 180 days and we'll send a letter" with absolutely no explanation. The rep couldn't (or wouldn't) tell me anything specific about why my return was flagged. Reading through everyone's experiences here is honestly such a relief - I had no idea this was so common with HOH returns this year! I've been obsessively checking that useless "Where's My Refund" tool daily but sounds like I need to access my transcript online instead. Really appreciate everyone sharing their timelines and outcomes. Even though 180 days sounds terrifying when you're counting on that money, it's reassuring to hear that most people get resolved way sooner than that. Going to start gathering potential documents they might request for dependent verification just to be prepared. This waiting game is brutal but at least we're not alone in it!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Filed Head of Household in February and just called the IRS last week - got the same frustrating "wait 180 days, we're sending a letter" response with zero explanation. The phone rep couldn't tell me anything specific about why my return was selected for review or what they're looking for. It's so stressful when you're depending on that refund! But reading through all these comments is actually giving me hope that it won't take the full 180 days. Sounds like HOH returns are definitely getting extra scrutiny this year. I've been checking that "Where's My Refund" tool religiously but everyone here is saying the online transcript is way more informative - definitely going to check that out tonight. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and timelines, it really helps to know this is normal and that most people get resolved much sooner than the worst-case scenario they tell you on the phone!

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now! Filed as Head of Household in February and got the identical response when I called two weeks ago - "wait 180 days and expect a letter" with absolutely zero explanation of what's going on. The phone rep was completely unhelpful and couldn't tell me why my return was flagged or what they're reviewing. It's so stressful when you're counting on that money! But reading through everyone's experiences here is honestly such a huge relief. I had no idea this was happening to so many HOH filers this year. Definitely going to check my transcript online tonight instead of obsessively refreshing that useless "Where's My Refund" tool. Thanks everyone for sharing your timelines - knowing that most people get resolved way before the full 180 days is keeping me sane during this waiting game! 🙏