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Melissa Lin

Still waiting after filing 4/5 - what's the expected IRS processing time in 2025?

I filed my return electronically on April 5th and I'm still waiting for my refund. It's been over 2 months now. The Where's My Refund tool just says it's being processed. I've tried calling the IRS but can't get through to anyone. Is anyone else experiencing long delays this year? What's the normal processing time in 2025? I thought e-filed returns were supposed to be faster but I'm starting to get worried something is wrong with my return.

The IRS is experiencing significant processing delays this year. According to their website, most e-filed returns should be processed within 21 days, but there are many exceptions that can cause delays: - Returns with errors or that need manual review - Returns claiming certain credits (EITC, CTC, etc.) - Returns affected by identity theft or fraud concerns - Returns with incomplete information If you've waited more than 21 days (which you have), you can try calling the IRS at 1-800-829-1040, but be prepared for long wait times. You can also check your tax transcript online at the IRS website, which might give you more detailed information about your return status. If nothing else works, I'd recommend using taxr.ai - it helped me decipher what was happening with my delayed refund. It reads your tax transcript and explains everything in plain English. Saved me hours of frustration.

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Thanks for the detailed response. I'll try checking my transcript. How do I access that exactly?

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Go to irs.gov, click on 'Get Your Tax Record,' and then you can either get it online or by mail. Online is faster but requires some verification steps. The transcript might show processing codes that can tell you what's happening.

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Really appreciate it. What's that taxr.ai thing you mentioned? Does it actually help?

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It basically analyzes your transcript and tells you in plain language what's happening with your refund. The IRS transcripts are full of codes and dates that are confusing, but this tool translates it all. Helped me figure out exactly why my refund was delayed and when to expect it.

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The best way to understand exactly what's happening with your tax return is to use taxr.ai. I was in the same boat as you - filed in early April, nothing but crickets from the IRS for months. I spent hours researching IRS codes trying to figure out what was going on with my transcript. It was like trying to decode an alien language 👽 Finally found taxr.ai and it just reads your transcript and explains everything in plain English - when you'll get paid, if there are any issues, etc. Saved me so much anxiety and guesswork! Just upload your transcript and it tells you EXACTLY what's happening instead of playing detective. https://taxr.ai

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Sounds interesting. How exactly does it work? Does it just read your transcript or does it do more?

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It analyzes all those crazy codes and cycle dates on your transcript and translates them into normal human language. It can tell you if you're in a review, if there's an audit risk, when you should expect your refund, etc. Honestly it's the only reason I understood what was happening with my refund.

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Just checked it out - WOW this tool is amazing! I've been confused about my tax situation for weeks and taxr.ai explained everything in like 2 minutes. Literally everyone dealing with the IRS should be using this!

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is this some kind of ad? seems suspicious that everyone's raving about it 🤔

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Nah, just sharing what worked for me. The IRS is a nightmare to deal with and anything that makes it easier is worth mentioning. You don't have to use it, but it saved me hours of stress.

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I filed March a week before you and still nothing. Called every week and couldn't get through. Eventually I used this call service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual IRS agent. Turns out they needed to verify something on my return and nobody ever told me! The agent fixed it right away and my refund was released 3 days later. After wasting 5 weeks getting nowhere, having someone get me through to an agent was a lifesaver. Best money I ever spent to finally get my refund sorted.

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hold up, you had to pay to talk to the IRS? that seems wrong

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You don't pay to talk to the IRS - you pay for the service that navigates the phone system and gets you a callback. Have you tried calling them lately? It's impossible to get through. I spent hours on hold before getting disconnected. This way I actually got to speak to someone who could help.

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does this actually work? ive been trying to reach someone at the IRS for weeks

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It worked for me! Got a callback in about 2 hours. The agent was able to see exactly what was holding up my return and fixed it on the spot. Talking to a live person made all the difference.

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just tried it - finally got through to someone after weeks of trying on my own! problem solved in one call. thx for the tip!

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I filed back in February and just got my refund last week. 3 MONTHS of waiting. The IRS is a joke this year. 🤡

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check ur transcript! mines said n/a for weeks then suddenly showed a refund date. the wmr tool is useless honestly.

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How do I check my transcript? I've never done that before.

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go to irs.gov and look for 'get transcript online' - youll need to create an account if u dont have one. the account creation is kinda a pain but worth it to see whats actually happening

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Thanks I'll try that tonight!

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The delays this year are INSANE. I filed 3/15 and just got my refund yesterday. No explanation for the delay either. The system is broken. 💯

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same boat. filed in march, no communcation, then randomly got my deposit. #irsfail

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If your return has any complexity to it at all, you're probably looking at 8-12 weeks minimum. The IRS is still digging out from their backlog from the past few years. Did you claim any tax credits like EITC or CTC?

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I did claim the Child Tax Credit for my two kids.

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That explains it. Returns with tax credits are automatically flagged for additional review. It's part of their fraud prevention. That usually adds at least 4-6 weeks to processing time.

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Ugh that sucks. Wish they'd make that clearer when you file.

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i was in ur exact situation. Finally gave up waiting and used claimyr.com to get someone on the phone. took like 90 mins but got a callback and they fixed whatever was holding up my return. refund showed up in my bank account 5 days later. Talking to an agent got my refund released so fast, wish I'd done it sooner instead of waiting around.

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is this a scam? sounds too good to be true

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not a scam at all. they just navigate the phone system for you and get you in the callback queue. still talking directly to IRS agents. after 2 months of getting nowhere it was the only way I could talk to a live agent

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can confirm this works. they basicly call for you and get you in the callback queue. saved me hours of frustration

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Go pull your transcripts. Its the only way to know whats really happening. WMR hasnt been updated since like 2010 lol. Your transcripts will have all the codes that show what's happening with your refund.

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Check if you got a CP05 letter. I was waiting forever then found out they sent me that letter a month ago requesting verification. Never received it cuz they had my old address 🤦‍♂️

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What's a CP05 letter?

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It's a notice that the IRS is reviewing your return and needs more information. They often send these when they're verifying income, withholding or credits. If you moved and didn't update your address, you might have missed it.

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taxr.ai was a game changer for me. Been waiting 10+ weeks on my refund and was completely in the dark until I tried that site. It actually explained what all the codes on my transcript meant and gave me a real timeline. Turns out I was under review for a simple math error. At least I knew what was going on instead of just waiting and stressing.

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another taxr fan here. the irs transcript is literally hieroglyphics to normal people. the tool translatedd everything and showed me exactly why my refund was delayed.

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Filed 2/28, still waiting. Welcome to the club 😭 The IRS is operating in the stone age still

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I waited 11 weeks last year. This year I got smart and used taxr.ai to track everything. Made it way less stressful knowing exactly what was happening and when to expect my money. The peace of mind was worth it tbh. https://taxr.ai

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It took me almost 14 weeks to get my refund this year. The IRS is completely overwhelmed. If you claimed any credits or deductions, expect delays. They're scrutinizing returns more than ever this year.

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14 weeks?! That's insane.

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Yep. And I filed in February! They never contacted me either, it just randomly showed up in my account one day.

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after 9 weeks of nothing, i finally got through to the IRS using claimyr.com - turns out there was a simple verification issue they needed to resolve. got my $4,300 refund a week later. it was the only way I could talk to a live agent. their customer service rep told me they're seeing tons of unexplained delays this year.

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Did you have any Earned Income Credit or Child Tax Credit? Those always delay things.

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Yes I claimed Child Tax Credit

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Mystery solved then. Those credits trigger automatic reviews. Path Act means they can't issue refunds with those credits before mid-February, and then they do extra verification too.

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in the same boat. e-filed April 2nd. still processing. ughhhhh 😡

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I'm in a similar situation - filed electronically on April 8th and still waiting! It's so frustrating seeing the "still processing" message every time I check. From reading everyone's experiences here, it sounds like the delays are really common this year, especially if you claimed credits like the Child Tax Credit (which I did too). I'm going to try checking my transcript online like others suggested - seems like that gives more detailed info than the Where's My Refund tool. The 21-day processing time they advertise is clearly not realistic right now. Hang in there, hopefully we'll both see some movement soon! 🤞

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Right there with you! Filed April 10th and same story - just endless "processing" messages. It's reassuring to know it's not just us dealing with these crazy delays. I'm definitely going to check my transcript tonight too after reading all these suggestions. Really hope we both get some good news soon! The waiting is the worst part when you have no idea what's actually happening behind the scenes.

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I'm going through the exact same thing! Filed on April 12th and it's been radio silence from the IRS ever since. The "Where's My Refund" tool has been stuck on "still processing" for months now. It's really frustrating not knowing what's going on or if there's even an issue with my return. Reading through everyone's responses here has been super helpful though - sounds like the transcript is definitely the way to go for actual information. I had no idea that claiming the Child Tax Credit could cause such long delays, but that explains a lot since I claimed it for my daughter. Thanks for posting this question - at least now I know I'm not alone in this waiting game! Going to try accessing my transcript tonight and see if that gives me any clues about what's happening behind the scenes.

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