Identity Verification Issue - Online Confirmation Didn't Register with IRS

I've been there too. Did my ID verification online back in February, got the confirmation page, waited 5 weeks, and nothing happened. Called in March and they told me the same thing - no record of my verification in their system. Had to redo everything by phone. Seems like their online system is glitching out for a lot of people this year. Did they at least give you a confirmation number or case ID when you verified by phone?

Last year I had the EXACT same issue with identity verification. Got the congratulations page online, waited 6 weeks, nothing happened. Called and they had no record of it. Had to redo by phone. This year I skipped the online verification entirely and went straight to phone. Still took forever, but at least I didn't waste those initial weeks thinking everything was fine when it wasn't.

When I had to verify my identity last year, I wasted 3 days trying to get through to an IRS agent. Kept getting the "high call volume" message and disconnects. Finally used Claimyr (https://www.claimyr.com) and got connected to an agent in about 15 minutes. Saved me so much time and frustration. They basically monitor the IRS phone lines and call you when they get through. Worth every penny when you're dealing with time-sensitive verification issues like this. TurboTax forums and r/tax both recommended it.

BE CAREFUL! Even after you verify by phone, keep checking your transcript weekly! I verified by phone in February, agent confirmed everything was good, but then my return sat in limbo for 2 months! No one told me I needed to ALSO verify my spouse's identity even though we filed jointly! I was SO ANGRY 😠 because we lost almost 10 weeks of processing time because of this! If I hadn't kept calling, it would have been even longer. Don't assume the phone verification fixes everything!

I'm going through the same thing right now... waiting on a refund I really need. When my transcript finally appeared after verification, I was completely lost trying to understand all those codes. Someone here suggested taxr.ai and it actually helped me make sense of my transcript. It showed me exactly what stage my return was in and when I could expect my refund based on the specific codes on my account. Might be worth checking out when your transcript updates.

According to IRS Publication 5367, the IRS is required to process verified returns within 21 days unless additional review is needed. However, IRS Internal Revenue Manual 21.5.6.4.35 states that identity verification cases may require up to 9 weeks for complete processing. I recommend requesting a Taxpayer Advocate Service case if it exceeds 9 weeks after phone verification. Form 911 can be submitted if you're experiencing financial hardship due to the delay.

I fixed this exact problem last month! Here's what worked for me: 1. Call the dedicated ID Verify line (not the main IRS number) 2. Verify by phone and get a confirmation number 3. Ask them to note in your file that you previously attempted online verification 4. Request they expedite due to the system error 5. Follow up exactly 14 days later if transcript hasn't updated My return was processed 17 days after phone verification instead of the full 9 weeks they quoted. The key was getting them to flag it as a system error rather than a first-time verification.

It's important to understand the distinction between ID verification statuses in the IRS system. The online portal (IDVerify) and telephone verification systems (IDRS) operate on separate databases with asynchronous batch processing. The congratulations page only confirms submission to the IDVerify portal, not integration with your Master File Record. This is why telephone verification is more reliable - it directly updates your Taxpayer Authentication Profile (TAP) in real-time rather than through batch processing.

Had this happen. February filing. Online verify failed. Called in March. Nine week wait started over. Finally got refund last week. Worth the wait. Keep all confirmation numbers. Take names of agents. Document everything. You'll get through this.