Received IRS Letter 4464C - Need Help Understanding This Verification Process
I received a Letter 4464C from the IRS last week and I'm completely confused about why they sent it. Initially I thought maybe it was because I changed jobs mid-year and ended up making almost triple what I made at my previous position, or possibly because my previous employer somehow didn't withhold any federal taxes from my paychecks. But here's the weird part - I just checked my IRS transcripts for this year and according to them, NONE of my employers have reported my income at all! What the heck? Does anyone know what might be causing this or how I should fix this situation? I desperately need my refund money right now. My car needs to pass inspection next month, and there are several repairs I need to make that I just can't afford without this refund. Any advice would be really appreciated because I'm stressing out about this big time.
28 comments


Zoe Alexopoulos
Letter 4464C is an income verification letter, which means the IRS is reviewing your return before issuing your refund. This is actually pretty common and doesn't necessarily mean anything is wrong. The fact that your transcripts don't show your employers reporting income likely means your wage information hasn't been processed in their system yet, not that your employers failed to report. For 2025 filing season, there have been a lot of processing delays. Even though employers are supposed to submit W-2s by January 31st, it can take weeks for the IRS to process all that information in their systems. Since you mentioned changing jobs and a significant income increase, these are exactly the kind of changes that can trigger an income verification review.
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Andre Lefebvre
•Thanks for explaining! Do you know how long this verification process typically takes? And should I be contacting my employers to make sure they actually submitted my W-2s correctly?
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Zoe Alexopoulos
•The verification process typically takes about 60-90 days, though in some cases it can be resolved faster. The IRS is dealing with a significant backlog this year, so patience will unfortunately be necessary. You don't need to contact your employers yet. If they gave you a W-2, they almost certainly submitted it to the IRS as well. The issue is more likely that the IRS hasn't fully processed the information or updated your transcript yet. If the verification process goes beyond 90 days, then you might want to follow up with both the IRS and your employers to ensure everything was filed correctly.
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Jamal Anderson
I had a similar situation last year and discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which really helped me understand what was happening with my refund. Their tool analyzed my tax documents and identified that my income verification was being held up because my new employer submitted my W-2 electronically but my old employer submitted paper forms, which take longer to process. The site helped me figure out exactly what steps to take - might be worth checking out if you're confused about the 4464C letter.
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Mei Wong
•How exactly does this work? Does it just read the letter and explain it in simple terms or does it actually help track your refund status?
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QuantumQuasar
•I'm hesitant to use any third-party services with my tax info. How secure is this site and are you sure it actually provides information you couldn't get directly from the IRS?
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Jamal Anderson
•It does more than just read the letter - it analyzes your whole tax situation. You upload your tax documents (W-2s, previous returns, IRS letters) and it identifies patterns or issues that might be causing delays. It showed me exactly why my verification was happening and gave me a timeline estimate based on similar cases. As for security, they use bank-level encryption for all documents and don't store your personal information permanently. I was skeptical too, but they actually provided much clearer information than I got from calling the IRS, which was just generic responses about "processing delays.
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QuantumQuasar
I want to follow up about taxr.ai since I decided to try it despite my initial skepticism. Honestly, it was super helpful! I uploaded my 4464C letter and tax documents, and it showed me that the specific issue was a mismatch between my reported income and what the IRS had on file (which was nothing because of processing delays). It gave me a step-by-step plan and estimated timeline, plus some template language to use when contacting the IRS. Way more useful than the generic "wait 60 days" advice I kept getting everywhere else.
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Liam McGuire
If you need to actually speak with someone at the IRS about your 4464C letter (which I recommend), good luck getting through on your own. After trying for weeks to reach someone about my verification issue, I used https://claimyr.com and got through to an IRS agent in about 45 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - they basically wait on hold for you and call when an agent picks up. Made a huge difference in resolving my income verification issue.
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Amara Eze
•Wait, do they actually get you connected to a real IRS agent? I thought it was impossible to reach anyone there these days.
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QuantumQuasar
•Sounds like a scam honestly. You're saying some random service can magically get through IRS phone lines when millions of people can't? I'll believe it when I see it.
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Liam McGuire
•Yes, they connect you with actual IRS agents - it's not a third-party answering service. They use an automated system that persistently calls and navigates the IRS phone tree, then holds your place in line. When an agent finally answers, you get a call to connect immediately. I was in the same boat as you - completely skeptical. But I was desperate after trying for 3 weeks to get through on my own. The difference is they have technology that can stay on hold indefinitely while you go about your day. When I tried waiting myself, I'd get disconnected after 2+ hours or have to hang up to do something else.
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QuantumQuasar
I need to apologize for my skeptical comment about Claimyr earlier. After another week of failing to reach the IRS myself about my 4464C letter, I broke down and tried the service. I'm seriously shocked - it actually worked exactly as described. I got a call back after about 40 minutes saying they had an IRS agent on the line. The agent confirmed my employers had submitted my information but it hadn't been fully processed in their system yet, and they put a note on my account to expedite the review. I would have never gotten this information without speaking to someone directly.
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Giovanni Greco
I just went through this exact situation last month. One thing that helped me was pulling my wage and income transcript directly from the IRS website (if you can create an online account). Even though my account transcript didn't show my employers reporting income, my wage transcript did show what had been reported. Turns out there was a mismatch between what I reported on my return and what one employer submitted - they had my SSN wrong by one digit!
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Andre Lefebvre
•I tried to create an IRS online account but got stuck in the ID verification step. Do you know if there's another way to check my wage transcript?
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Giovanni Greco
•If you can't access your online account, you can request your wage transcript by mail using Form 4506-T. Check box 8 on the form specifically for "Form W-2, Form 1099 series, Form 1098 series, or Form 5498 series transcript." This will show what income information the IRS has received from your employers. You can also try visiting a local IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center in person - they can often pull these transcripts for you if you bring proper ID. You'll need to make an appointment by calling 844-545-5640, but once you're there, they can give you your transcripts on the spot.
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Fatima Al-Farsi
Make sure you respond to the 4464C letter if it requests any information! Mine asked me to verify some info about my employers and I ignored it thinking it was just informing me of a delay - my refund ended up being held for an additional 2 months because of this. If yours just says they're reviewing your return, then yeah, it's a waiting game unfortunately.
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Dylan Wright
•This is important advice - I didn't read my letter carefully enough either and missed a response deadline. Double-check what the letter is actually asking for!
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Omar Fawaz
I went through this exact same situation earlier this year! The key thing to understand about Letter 4464C is that it's actually a positive sign - it means the IRS is actively working on your return, not that there's necessarily a problem. The income verification process happens when there's a discrepancy between what you reported and what they have on file, which is super common during tax season due to processing delays. Since your transcripts show no employer income reported yet, that's likely just a timing issue. The IRS processes millions of W-2s and it can take 6-8 weeks for everything to show up in their system. Your situation with the job change and income increase probably flagged their system for review, but once your employer data gets processed, it should resolve automatically. In the meantime, keep checking your "Where's My Refund" tool every week or so. The 60-90 day timeframe mentioned earlier is accurate, but many cases resolve faster once the employer data catches up. Hang in there - you should get your refund!
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Samantha Johnson
I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - received my 4464C letter about 3 weeks ago and have been anxiously checking my refund status daily. What really helped calm my nerves was understanding that this letter doesn't mean I did anything wrong on my return. One thing I learned from calling the IRS (after many attempts) is that they're seeing record numbers of these income verification letters this year due to the combination of processing delays and people changing jobs during the economic shifts we've had. The agent told me that significant income changes, like yours with tripling your salary, are one of the most common triggers for these reviews. Since you mentioned needing the refund for car repairs, I totally get the stress. I'm in a similar boat waiting for mine to cover some unexpected expenses. The waiting is brutal, but from what I've gathered from others who've gone through this, most people do get their refunds eventually - it's just a matter of the IRS systems catching up with all the employer data. Keep checking your transcripts weekly if you can access them online. Once your employer income starts showing up there, your refund should process pretty quickly after that. Good luck!
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Amina Toure
•Thanks for sharing your experience! It's really reassuring to hear from someone going through the same thing. I've been checking "Where's My Refund" obsessively too, but it just keeps saying the same thing about reviewing my return. I didn't realize that job changes were such a common trigger for these reviews - that actually makes me feel a lot better about the whole situation. I was worried I had somehow messed up my tax return or that my employers had failed to report my income properly. How often are you checking your transcripts? I'm still having trouble accessing my online IRS account, but based on the advice here I'm thinking about requesting them by mail or visiting a taxpayer assistance center. Did the IRS agent give you any sense of where you were in the process when you called? I really hope both of our refunds come through soon - this waiting game is so stressful when you're counting on that money!
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Charlee Coleman
I just want to add some perspective as someone who went through this same 4464C situation about 6 months ago. The waiting is absolutely nerve-wracking, especially when you're depending on that refund money, but I can confirm that it does eventually get resolved. In my case, I had switched from a W-2 job to contract work mid-year, which triggered the income verification. Like you, my transcripts initially showed no income from my employers. It took about 10 weeks total, but once the IRS finished processing all the employer data, my refund was issued within a week of that. One thing that helped me manage the anxiety was setting up a weekly routine instead of checking daily - I'd check my transcripts and "Where's My Refund" every Friday morning. The daily checking was driving me crazy and the status rarely changes that quickly anyway. Also, if you haven't already, make sure you have all your documentation organized (W-2s, 1099s, copy of your return) in case the IRS needs you to provide additional verification. In most cases they don't ask for anything extra, but being prepared helped me feel more in control of the situation. Your refund will come through - the income verification process has a very high resolution rate once the system catches up. Hang in there!
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Ally Tailer
•This is exactly the kind of reassurance I needed to hear! Your timeline of 10 weeks gives me a realistic expectation to work with. I've definitely been guilty of checking daily (sometimes multiple times a day) which is probably making my anxiety worse. I love your idea about setting up a weekly check routine - I'm going to start doing that on Friday mornings too. It makes so much more sense than obsessing over it every day when the status barely changes. I do have all my documentation organized and ready, which makes me feel a bit more prepared. It's good to know that most people don't need to provide additional verification beyond what they've already submitted. Thanks for sharing your experience and the reminder that this process has a high resolution rate. It really helps to hear from people who've actually been through it successfully!
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Paolo Conti
I'm going through something very similar right now! Got my 4464C letter about two weeks ago and have been stressing about it constantly. Like you, I changed jobs this year - went from part-time retail to a full-time office position, so my income more than doubled. What's been helpful for me is calling the IRS early in the morning (around 7 AM when they open) - I've had better luck getting through then versus later in the day. The agent I spoke with confirmed that job changes with significant income increases are triggering a lot of these reviews this year, especially when combined with all the processing delays they're dealing with. She also mentioned that even though my transcripts weren't showing employer data yet, that's completely normal and doesn't mean anything went wrong with my W-2 filings. The IRS is just behind on processing everything into their system. I know the waiting is brutal when you need that refund money - I'm in the same boat with some medical bills I need to pay. But hearing from others here who went through this successfully is really helping me stay patient. We'll get through this!
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Clay blendedgen
•Your experience sounds almost identical to mine! I also went from part-time to full-time work this year with a big income jump, so it's reassuring to hear that this is a common trigger for the 4464C letters right now. Thanks for the tip about calling early in the morning - I hadn't thought about timing making such a difference, but that makes total sense. I'll definitely try calling around 7 AM if I need to speak with someone again. It's good to know that the agent confirmed your situation is normal and that the missing employer data on transcripts doesn't indicate a filing problem. The waiting really is the hardest part, especially when you have bills depending on that refund. I'm dealing with car repair expenses that I can't put off much longer. But reading everyone's experiences here has helped me realize this is just a processing issue that will eventually resolve itself. Hope both our situations get cleared up soon! At least we know we're not alone in dealing with this.
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Molly Hansen
I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Got my 4464C letter about a month ago after switching from a seasonal job to full-time work with almost double the income. Initially panicked thinking I'd messed something up on my return, but after reading all these experiences, I feel so much better knowing this is actually pretty normal. What really helped me was realizing that the IRS systems are just overwhelmed this year. My tax preparer explained that when you have significant life changes like job switches or income increases, their computers flag it for human review to make sure everything matches up. It's actually a good thing in a way - means they're being thorough. I've been following the weekly check routine someone mentioned earlier instead of obsessing daily, and it's definitely helped my stress levels. Still waiting for my employer data to show up on transcripts, but I'm trying to stay patient knowing that most people in our situation do eventually get their refunds processed. Hang in there - from everything I've read here and heard from others, the 60-90 day timeframe is realistic, and many resolve faster once the employer data catches up in their system. The waiting is brutal but we'll get through this!
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Noah Torres
•I'm so glad I found this thread! I just received my 4464C letter yesterday and was completely freaking out about it. Reading everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring - I had no idea that job changes and income increases were such common triggers for these reviews. Like many of you, I also switched jobs this year and my income went up significantly (about 2.5x what I was making before). I was convinced I had made some terrible mistake on my tax return or that my new employer had messed up my W-2 somehow. It's such a relief to learn that this is actually a normal part of the IRS verification process when you have major changes like this. I'm definitely going to adopt the weekly checking routine instead of the daily obsessing I've been doing since I got the letter. That sounds like a much healthier approach that won't drive me crazy while I wait for this to get resolved. Thanks to everyone who shared their timelines and experiences - it really helps to know that most people do get their refunds eventually, even if it takes a couple months longer than expected. This community has been a lifesaver for my anxiety about this whole situation!
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Sean O'Brien
I can definitely relate to your situation! I went through something very similar earlier this year - received a 4464C letter and immediately thought I had done something wrong with my taxes. The stress was overwhelming, especially when I needed my refund for some urgent expenses. From my experience and what I learned talking to an IRS agent, the 4464C letter is actually quite routine when you have significant income changes like you described. Your job change and income increase (tripling your salary) would definitely trigger their automated review system. The fact that your transcripts don't show any employer income yet is almost certainly just a processing delay, not an indication that your employers failed to report anything. What helped me the most was understanding that this is a verification process, not an audit or indication of wrongdoing. The IRS is simply making sure that what you reported matches what they receive from your employers. Once their systems catch up and process all the W-2 data, most of these cases resolve automatically. I know the waiting is incredibly stressful when you're counting on that refund money for necessary expenses like your car repairs. Try to be patient - the 60-90 day timeframe others mentioned is realistic, though many cases resolve faster. Keep checking your transcripts weekly if you can access them online, and once your employer income data appears there, your refund should process pretty quickly after that. You're definitely not alone in this situation - it seems like a lot of people are dealing with these income verification letters this year due to processing delays and economic changes that led to more job switches. Hang in there!
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