Identity Verification Letter Coming - What's the Timeline After Verification?

Been there last year. Took me exactly 9 weeks after verification to get my refund. The IRS told me 6-8 weeks but it went slightly over. My verification was for the Child Tax Credit though, not sure if that makes a difference. The waiting was the worst part - checking WMR every morning like it was my job.

I had to verify my identity last month and the wait time was ridiculous compared to my previous experiences with regular returns. After 3 weeks of silence, I tried calling the regular IRS number but kept getting disconnected. Finally used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to get through to an agent who confirmed my verification was processed but explained there was an additional review happening. If you're planning around medical expenses, I'd definitely recommend calling to check status after about 2 weeks - Claimyr got me through in about 15 minutes when I'd spent hours trying the regular way.

Current identity verification processing is running at exactly 4-6 weeks for most filers. If you verify online through ID.me on Wednesday, expect your refund by May 10-24 at the latest. However, if you have any credits or deductions that trigger additional review (EITC, CTC, education credits), add another 2-3 weeks. You need to act quickly - verification letters expire after exactly 30 days, and if you miss that window, you'll have to request a new letter which adds 45+ days to your timeline.

Been through this twice. Verification is frustrating. Takes about a month. Sometimes longer. Depends on your specific situation. Check your transcript weekly. Don't obsess daily. If you need to understand what's happening on your transcript, try taxr.ai. It helped me decode all those weird codes and dates. Made the waiting less stressful.

The Identity Verification Protocol (IVP) has a standard post-verification processing timeline that varies based on which Authentication Level was triggered in your case. Most taxpayers experience a Return Processing Resumption (RPR) within 2-3 weeks after successful verification, followed by normal processing channels. I recommend monitoring your account transcript rather than WMR, as transcript updates precede WMR updates by approximately 24-72 hours. Look specifically for Transaction Code 971 followed by 570 (verification hold) and then 571 (verification release) which typically signals impending completion.

I'm going through this right now too! According to the IRS.gov FAQ page (https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/identity-verification-for-irs-letter-recipients), they say it can take up to 9 weeks after verification. The r/IRS subreddit has tons of recent posts showing it's taking 4-7 weeks for most people this tax season. I verified on March 1st and still waiting... The Taxpayer Advocate Service website also mentions that identity verification cases are taking longer this year due to increased fraud prevention measures.

It might be helpful to understand that the verification process is sort of a reset button for your return processing. Once you verify, your return essentially goes back into the processing queue, possibly with some priority, but not always. The timeline varies quite a bit depending on your particular tax situation, what credits you claimed, and frankly, just random IRS workload distribution. I was somewhat surprised when mine took only 3 weeks after verification, while my sister's took nearly 7 weeks despite having a much simpler return.

Heads up - the verification process might be diff than u expect. My letter had a QR code that took me to ID.me but others get sent to the IRS portal directly. IME the avg wait was ~5 wks but that was b4 the April rush. Rn the IRS is slammed w/ returns so prob longer. Def call if it goes past 6 wks. Also check ur transcripts not WMR - transcripts update 1st and WMR is often behind by days.