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.
48 comments
Lydia Santiago
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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Melissa Lin
Thanks for the detailed response. I'll try checking my transcript. How do I access that exactly?
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Lydia Santiago
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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Melissa Lin
Really appreciate it. What's that taxr.ai thing you mentioned? Does it actually help?
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Lydia Santiago
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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Romeo Quest
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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Val Rossi
Sounds interesting. How exactly does it work? Does it just read your transcript or does it do more?
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Romeo Quest
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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Val Rossi
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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Eve Freeman
is this some kind of ad? seems suspicious that everyone's raving about it 🤔
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Romeo Quest
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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Clarissa Flair
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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Caden Turner
hold up, you had to pay to talk to the IRS? that seems wrong
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Clarissa Flair
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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McKenzie Shade
does this actually work? ive been trying to reach someone at the IRS for weeks
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Clarissa Flair
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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McKenzie Shade
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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Harmony Love
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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Rudy Cenizo
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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Melissa Lin
How do I check my transcript? I've never done that before.
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Rudy Cenizo
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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Melissa Lin
Thanks I'll try that tonight!
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Natalie Khan
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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Daryl Bright
same boat. filed in march, no communcation, then randomly got my deposit. #irsfail
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Sienna Gomez
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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Melissa Lin
I did claim the Child Tax Credit for my two kids.
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Sienna Gomez
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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Melissa Lin
Ugh that sucks. Wish they'd make that clearer when you file.
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Kirsuktow DarkBlade
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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Abigail bergen
is this a scam? sounds too good to be true
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Kirsuktow DarkBlade
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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Ahooker-Equator
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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Anderson Prospero
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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Tyrone Hill
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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Melissa Lin
What's a CP05 letter?
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Tyrone Hill
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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Toot-n-Mighty
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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Lena Kowalski
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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DeShawn Washington
Filed 2/28, still waiting. Welcome to the club 😭 The IRS is operating in the stone age still
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Mei-Ling Chen
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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Sofía Rodríguez
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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Melissa Lin
14 weeks?! That's insane.
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Sofía Rodríguez
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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Aiden O'Connor
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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Zoe Papadopoulos
Did you have any Earned Income Credit or Child Tax Credit? Those always delay things.
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Melissa Lin
Yes I claimed Child Tax Credit
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Zoe Papadopoulos
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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Jamal Brown
in the same boat. e-filed April 2nd. still processing. ughhhhh 😡
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