IRS2Go App Shows Profane Message Threatening Audit Over 5 Dependents with February 19 Hold Date

I just checked my refund status on IRS2Go (which shows the usual Received/Approved/Sent status bars) and got the most aggressive message I've ever seen! The app showed "Refund Status" with the three normal indicators - "Refund Received," "Refund Approved," and "Refund Sent" at the top, but then displayed this shocking message: "Please stop checking for your refund bitch!!! You check every 15 minutes, and you do this shit every year! Every year we tell you the same thing but you hard headed as hell. You have 5 kids on this goddamn tax return! We aren't sending you shit until after February 19 because we wanna know how the hell you got all these goddamn dependents in the first place. Stop having kids bitch and stop checking this damn refund before we audit your ass!" I'm absolutely shocked this would come from an official IRS application. Below this aggressive message, it had the standard text: "Please read the following information related to your tax situation: Tax Topic 152, Refund Information" and "Please Note: For refund information, please continue to check here, or visit the Refunds page on IRS.gov. Updates to refund status are..." The message specifically mentioned my 5 dependents and threatened an audit over them! It even called me "hard headed" and used extremely unprofessional language. It stated they "aren't sending you shit until after February 19" and accused me of checking "every 15 minutes." Is anyone else getting these absolutely unprofessional messages? I can't tell if this is a system glitch, a hack, or if someone at the IRS is having a really bad day. Should I be worried about my refund, especially with this February 20 hold date and the threat about verifying my dependents?

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14 comments

Emma Anderson

•10M

The image shows a clearly altered/fake version of the IRS2Go app interface, which normally displays a professional three-stage refund status tracker (Received/Approved/Sent). The doctored message contains unprofessional language and aggressive threats that would never appear in an official IRS communication. What's interesting is that while the message is clearly fake, it actually references real IRS policies - specifically Tax Topic 152 and the February 19th processing date. These are legitimate elements of the PATH Act, which requires the IRS to hold refunds involving Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) until mid-February for verification purposes. The standard IRS2Go app only shows basic status updates and would direct users to Tax Topic 152 in professional language. Any messages threatening audits or containing aggressive language about dependents are definitely not authentic IRS communications. The real IRS mobile app maintains strict professional standards in all its messaging. If you're claiming credits with dependents, your refund may indeed be held until after February 19th for standard verification - but you'll never receive hostile messages about it through official IRS channels.

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