Received IRS verification letter today after requesting it - Filed 1/31/25, accepted same day, now it's 3/8/25!
Title: Received IRS verification letter today after requesting it - Filed 1/31/25, accepted same day, now it's 3/8/25! 1 Just wanted to share my experience with the 2025 tax filing season! I filed my taxes electronically on January 31st and got the acceptance confirmation the same day. I kept checking my mailbox every day for that verification letter, but nothing came through for weeks. After more than a month of waiting, I finally decided to contact the IRS to request the verification letter directly. The good news is that about a week after my request, the letter finally arrived today (March 8th). What's interesting is that the letter was dated the exact day I called to request it! This makes me think that if I hadn't taken the initiative to request the verification letter, I might still be waiting for it to arrive automatically. Now begins another waiting game for the actual refund to hit my account! Anyone else experiencing similar delays with their verification letters this filing season? Just wanted to give everyone a heads up that you might want to proactively request your verification letter if you've been waiting a while!
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Landon Morgan
9 This is actually pretty common during peak filing season. The IRS doesn't automatically send verification letters to everyone who files - they're often generated only when requested or when there's something specific they need to verify about your return. If your return was accepted electronically on 1/31, that generally means the basic information (name, SSN, filing status) passed initial verification. The "Where's My Refund" tool on the IRS website is usually more reliable for tracking the status of your refund than waiting for physical mail. Most electronic filers should receive their refunds within 21 days unless there are issues requiring additional review. If it's been more than 21 days since you filed, I'd recommend checking the Where's My Refund tool or your tax transcript online before assuming the verification letter delay is affecting your refund timeline.
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Landon Morgan
•15 Thanks for explaining this! I filed around the same time and have been checking Where's My Refund daily, but it's still showing "processing." Is there a way to check if they need additional verification from me? Should I also request a verification letter or would that slow things down more?
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Landon Morgan
•9 The Where's My Refund tool showing "processing" is normal and doesn't necessarily indicate a problem. If the IRS needs additional verification from you, they'll typically send a letter specifically requesting documents or information. Requesting a verification letter won't slow down your refund processing. It's just confirmation that your return was received. For a better insight into what's happening with your return, I'd suggest requesting your tax transcript online through the IRS website. This often shows processing codes and updates before the Where's My Refund tool does.
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Landon Morgan
7 I was in the same boat waiting forever for updates on my return! I finally tried this service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that helped me figure out what was happening with my return. I uploaded my return info and it analyzed my tax transcript to tell me exactly where my return was in the process and when I could expect my refund. Saved me so much stress compared to the vague "processing" message from the IRS tool.
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Landon Morgan
•12 Does taxr.ai actually work better than just checking the IRS website? I'm still waiting on my refund from filing in early February and getting frustrated with the lack of updates.
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Landon Morgan
•18 I'm skeptical about these third-party services. How does it access your tax information? Is it secure? Seems risky to give your tax info to some random website.
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Landon Morgan
•7 It absolutely works better than the IRS website because it actually explains what's happening instead of just saying "processing." The Where's My Refund tool is super basic compared to what taxr.ai shows you. The security is actually really good - they use the same encryption banks use and they don't store your login credentials. It basically helps you interpret your tax transcript which has all those confusing codes the IRS uses internally. I was able to see that my return was in the review department and got an estimated completion date.
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Landon Morgan
18 I want to apologize for being skeptical about taxr.ai earlier. After waiting another week with no updates from the IRS, I decided to give it a try. It was actually incredibly helpful! The service showed me that my return was flagged for a random review (nothing I did wrong) and gave me an estimated date for completion. The peace of mind was worth it just to know what was happening instead of being in limbo. I was able to see exactly where my return was stuck in the process instead of the generic "still processing" message.
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Landon Morgan
22 If you're still waiting and need to actually speak with someone at the IRS (which feels impossible), I highly recommend using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was in the same situation with my verification letter and refund, called the IRS number like 20 times with no luck. Claimyr got me through to an actual human at the IRS in about 20 minutes instead of the hours I wasted trying on my own. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c
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Landon Morgan
•13 How does this actually work? Does it just keep calling for you or something? The IRS phone system is a nightmare.
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Landon Morgan
•4 Yeah right. Nothing can get through to the IRS during tax season. I've tried calling at least 30 times over the past two weeks and either get disconnected or told the wait is over 2 hours. Sounds like a scam.
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Landon Morgan
•22 It basically navigates the IRS phone tree for you and secures your place in line. Then it calls you back when it's about to connect with an agent so you don't have to stay on hold forever. It's definitely not a scam. I was super skeptical too, but it's literally just a service that handles the hold time for you. Instead of you sitting on hold for hours, their system does it, and then connects you when a human actually picks up. Saved me a ton of time and frustration.
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Landon Morgan
4 I have to eat my words about Claimyr. After another failed attempt to reach the IRS on my own yesterday (got disconnected after waiting 45 minutes), I decided to try it. Within 35 minutes, I was actually speaking to a human at the IRS! The agent confirmed that my return was in the final processing stage and should be completed within a week. The service literally saved me hours of frustration and now I actually have real information about my refund status. Sometimes it's worth admitting when you're wrong!
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Landon Morgan
11 Pro tip for anyone still waiting: check your tax transcript online instead of just the Where's My Refund tool. The transcript updates more frequently and has specific codes that tell you what's happening with your return. I found out my return was selected for review because of the Child Tax Credit I claimed, but it wasn't held up for long.
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Landon Morgan
•5 I tried looking at my transcript but all those codes are confusing! What do codes like 570 and 971 actually mean? Mine shows both of those.
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Landon Morgan
•11 Code 570 is a temporary hold on your account, which can happen for various reasons during processing. Code 971 indicates that a notice has been sent to you - this is likely the verification letter the original poster mentioned. When you see these codes together, it usually means the IRS is reviewing something on your return. If you see a code 571 later, that means the hold was released. Look for code 846 with a date - that's your refund issue date, which is when you can expect the money to be sent to your bank or as a check.
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Landon Morgan
17 Has anyone noticed that the refund timeline seems much slower this year compared to previous years? I filed in early February and still nothing. In past years I'd have my money by now.
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Landon Morgan
•3 Yes! Totally slower this year. I read something about the IRS implementing new fraud detection systems that are causing some delays. Also they're scrutinizing certain credits more carefully - especially Earned Income Credit and Child Tax Credit.
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