Still waiting for my 2022 Tax Refund - IRS Return shows "received" but not approved yet

I filed my 2022 taxes back in February and I'm still waiting on a refund that should be around $2,700. It's driving me crazy! Every time I check the IRS website, it just says my return has been "received" but not approved or sent. Super frustrating. About 3 months ago, I got some notice from the IRS in the mail, but I've been in the middle of moving apartments and honestly, the paper is somewhere in the mess of boxes or possibly still in my car with a bunch of other paperwork. I haven't been the most organized lately with everything going on. I've tried calling the IRS a few times but can never get through to an actual person. I'm starting to worry that something's wrong with my return. Could it be under review? Did I mess something up? Do they need to verify my identity? Or is the IRS just overwhelmingly backed up? I'm really counting on this money and don't know what to do next. Has anyone dealt with this kind of delay before?

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18 comments

Camila Castillo

•8M

The missing IRS notice is likely the key to your situation. When your refund is held up and they send you a letter, it usually means they need additional information or there's a specific issue they've identified with your return. There are several common reasons for delays like yours. The IRS might be conducting additional verification, especially if you claimed certain credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Additional Child Tax Credit. They might also need to verify your identity if there were any red flags in their fraud detection system. Sometimes there are simple discrepancies between what you reported and what the IRS has on file from your employers or financial institutions. Your best course of action is to either locate that notice or request a transcript of your account. You can access your tax transcripts online through the IRS website, which might show codes indicating why your refund is delayed. If you can't access your transcripts online, you can request them by mail using Form 4506-T.

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Camila Castillo

•8M

The transcript should show transaction codes that can give you clues about what's happening with your return. Look for codes like 570 (indicates a hold on your account) or 971 (indicates a notice was issued). These can help you understand what's happening even without the original letter. The IRS is notoriously difficult to reach by phone. Your best bet is to call early in the morning right when they open (usually 7 AM local time), avoid Mondays and Fridays which are their busiest days, and be prepared to wait. When the automated system asks why you're calling, choosing options related to payment often routes you to a human faster than refund questions. Just be polite when you get a person and explain your actual situation.

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Brianna Muhammad

•8M

After going through a similar nightmare with my 2021 refund, I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it was seriously a game-changer. It analyzed my tax transcript and immediately showed me why my refund was delayed - turned out I had a number mismatch on one of my W-2s that triggered a manual review. The tool explained exactly what was happening with all those confusing codes on my transcript and gave me a clear timeline of what to expect. It even helped me understand the notice I received (which sounds like what you've lost). I was able to resolve the issue myself without spending hours on hold with the IRS.

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Brianna Muhammad

•8M

Yes, it absolutely works with transcripts from previous years! It can analyze transcripts going back several years, so your 2020 return would definitely work. It's especially helpful for covid-era returns since there were so many special provisions and changes during that time. The difference from free resources is night and day. Sure, you can look up individual codes online, but taxr.ai actually reads your entire transcript together as a complete story. It interprets how different codes interact with each other, explains what's happening in plain English, identifies problems IRS reps might miss, and gives you a clear timeline. It's like having a tax pro review your case but instant and without the hourly fees.

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JaylinCharles

•8M

Just wanted to follow up - I tried taxr.ai after commenting here and wow! I've been stressing for months about my missing 2020 refund, and within minutes I had actual answers. My return was stuck in the "unpostable" status because of a name/SSN mismatch that nobody at the IRS ever bothered to tell me about! The transcript analysis explained that I needed to submit an identity verification form, gave me the exact form number, and walked me through what to do next. Three weeks after sending in the form, my refund was finally approved. After two years of confusion and getting nowhere with the IRS, I finally have a resolution. Seriously wish I'd found this tool sooner!

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Lucas Schmidt

•8M

If you're still trying to reach the IRS, I was in the exact same boat last year and was ready to give up when someone recommended Claimyr to me (https://claimyr.com). You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c After trying for WEEKS to get through to the IRS about my delayed refund, Claimyr had me connected to a real IRS agent in about 45 minutes. I was shocked because I'd spent hours upon hours redialing before this. The agent was able to tell me exactly why my refund was delayed (they needed additional verification of my self-employment income) and what documents I needed to send.

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Lucas Schmidt

•8M

It uses an automated system that keeps dialing and navigating the IRS phone tree until it gets a spot in line, then it calls you to connect with the agent. It's basically doing what you'd do manually (redialing over and over) but with technology. No special access or anything like that. I was skeptical at first too! But they don't ask for any personal tax information at all - they just need your phone number to call you once they get through. You don't share any sensitive info with them, just with the actual IRS agent after you're connected. They're just solving the "getting through" problem, not handling any of your actual tax information.

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LongPeri

•8M

I need to eat my words and apologize to Profile 12. After my skeptical comment, I was desperate enough to try Claimyr since I'd been trying to get through to the IRS for THREE MONTHS about a similar issue. Not only did it work exactly as described, but I got through to an agent who was actually helpful! Turns out my refund was held up because I had moved and they sent a verification letter to my old address that I never received. The agent resent the letter to my current address, and I was able to complete the verification within days. My refund was deposited last week - almost $3,400 that I'd been waiting on for nearly a year. I'm still shocked at how simple the fix was once I actually talked to someone. Definitely worth it to finally resolve this headache!

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Oscar O'Neil

•8M

The identity verification letters are usually pretty obvious - they come in IRS envelopes and typically have "Action Required" or something similar printed on them. They're letter 5071C, 5747C, or 5447C usually. If your new tenants can't find it, you can request a copy of the notice by calling the IRS or checking your online account. If it's an identity verification issue, you might be able to complete the verification online through the Identity Verification Service without the original letter. Just go to the IRS website and search for ID verify. You'll need info from previous tax returns, so have that handy!

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Sara Hellquiem

•8M

This happened to me last year and it took FOREVER to resolve. After 8 months of waiting, I finally got through to someone who told me my return had been flagged for a "random review" and was just sitting in a backlog. The crazy thing is, nothing was wrong with my return at all! The IRS is still dealing with massive backlogs from COVID. If you're desperate for the money, you might consider contacting your congressional representative's office. Their constituent services can sometimes inquire with the IRS on your behalf and get things moving. That's what finally worked for me after months of frustration.

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