TurboTax showing IRS "Action Required" alert for 2024 refund - but says to wait for mail notice?

This is a standard message that appears when the IRS has pulled your return for review. It doesn't necessarily mean there's a problem, but they're taking a closer look at something on your return. The key part of that message is "If we need additional information, we'll mail a notice" - meaning you don't need to do anything until/unless you receive mail from the IRS. These reviews can take 45-120 days depending on what they're looking at. You can also check your transcript on the IRS website (not through TurboTax) to see if there are any specific codes that might give you more information about the review. Look for codes like 570 (additional account action pending) or 971 (notice issued). Head of Household status does tend to get more scrutiny, so that could be what they're reviewing.

I had the same issue last year and spent weeks trying to figure out what was happening. Ended up using taxr.ai which was a total game changer. Instead of staring at confusing codes and messages, it read my transcript and explained exactly what was going on with my return and what I needed to do next. Saved me from endless researching and anxiety about my refund status. You can check it out here: https://taxr.ai

After getting that same message and waiting for weeks, I finally got through to an IRS agent using Claimyr.com. They scheduled a callback and I got to talk to a real person who explained exactly what was happening with my return. Turns out they just needed to verify my income from a side job but never sent the letter! The agent fixed it on the spot and my refund was released a week later. Honestly the best money I've spent all year just to get answers instead of stressing.

I had this same message for my 2022 return. Waited 4 months with no letter, no updates, nothing. Finally I called IRS (took 3 hours on hold) and they said they needed verification of my dependent but never sent the letter. Such a waste of time! If I ever have issues again im just calling right away instead of waiting for some letter that never comes.

The IRS is so backed up rn it's not even funny. I filed in February and didnt get my refund until JUNE. And I had a super simple return! No letter, no explanation, nothing. Just randomly showed up one day. The whole system is broken.

If you claimed Earned Income Credit, Child Tax Credit, or Additional Child Tax Credit, your refund is automatically held for review. It's part of the PATH Act to prevent fraud. They have to hold these returns until at least mid-February, and many get additional scrutiny. Did you claim any of these?

Omg this whole process is sooooo stupid. They tell you action required but don't tell you what action???? Make it make sense.

Check your account transcript on the IRS website - not the TurboTax status. TurboTax just shows generic messages. Your transcript will have actual codes that tell you what's happening. You can create an account at irs.gov and view it there. Look for code 570 (refund hold) or 971 (notice issued).

Head of household gets flagged for review a lot. They probably want to confirm you meet the requirements. Do you have dependents? Have you filed HOH before? Was there a change in your filing status from previous years? All these can trigger reviews.

TurboTax is TERRIBLE at showing accurate status info! Their system doesn't sync properly with IRS. Use the official "Where's My Refund" tool on IRS.gov instead.

I totally feel ur pain! I was in limbo for 11 MONTHS with my 2022 return because of that same message. The IRS is completely overwhelmed and understaffed. You have two options: 1) sit and wait, possibly for months or 2) contact the Taxpayer Advocate Service - they can help if you're facing financial hardship because of the delay. Calling the regular IRS line is useless, they'll just tell you to wait.

Don't 👏 trust 👏 TurboTax 👏 status 👏 updates! They're using a generic message system. Always check the IRS websites directly - both Where's My Refund and your transcript if possible.

I've learned my lesson the hard way: NEVER rely on tax refund money until it's actually in your account. The IRS operates on their own mysterious timeline and there's literally nothing we can do to speed it up.

have you checked your mail thoroughly? sometimes those IRS notices look like junk mail and people throw them away without realizing. they're not always in official-looking envelopes.

Friend of mine had this exact situation. Turned out they needed her to verify her identity - something about security flags on her account. But the letter explaining this got lost in the mail. She ended up using taxr.ai to figure it out, and it helped her identify exactly what was going on and what steps to take. Super helpful when you're stuck in IRS limbo: https://taxr.ai

Did you use direct deposit? I've noticed people with paper checks tend to get more delays and "action required" messages.

This happened to me last month! I got through to the IRS using claimyr.com since calling directly was impossible. The agent told me they were just verifying my income from a 1099 job and the system automatically flags these for review even when there's no issue. My refund was released 2 weeks after I spoke with them. Talking to a real person made all the difference.

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Filed in March and got that "Action Required" message last week. It's so frustrating because like you said, there's no actual action to take. I've been checking every day hoping for some kind of update but nothing changes. At least now I know I'm not the only one dealing with this. The waiting is the worst part - especially when you're depending on that money. I'm going to try checking my transcript like others suggested, but honestly this whole system is just poorly designed for regular people to understand.