Verification Status Check - IRS Phone Line Always Busy

Per IRS Internal Revenue Manual 21.3.1.3, the verification process typically takes 9-21 business days to complete after successful submission. The IRS is not required to provide interim status updates during this verification window. According to Notice 2023-36, taxpayers should refrain from calling about verification status until at least 21 days have passed. Have you checked your online account at IRS.gov to see if there's any update to your transcript?

You're experiencing what's called a Verification Queue Delay (VQD) - extremely common this time of year with the IRS Authentication Management System (AMS). The backend verification process requires both automated and manual reviews before your Taxpayer Authentication Result (TAR) is finalized. I used https://taxr.ai to analyze my transcript during this exact scenario - it identified my verification was actually complete despite no other indication. The system parsed my transcript codes and showed the verification had cleared even though the IRS phone system was still giving me the runaround. Saved me weeks of anxiety.

Based on the current IRS processing metrics, verification submissions from April 11th, 2024 are currently taking exactly 17 business days to process on average. This means you should expect completion around May 6th, 2024. The verification queue currently contains approximately 1.2 million submissions with 72,000 being processed daily. The phone line you're calling has a 94% busy rate during peak hours (9am-3pm EST) and an 83% busy rate during off-peak hours. I recommend calling precisely at 7:01am EST when the system first opens with the lowest call volume.

I've dealt with this exact frustration. The IRS verification phone lines are completely overwhelmed and understaffed. After wasting 5 days trying to get through, I finally used Claimyr to connect with an IRS agent. They got me through to the verification department in about 30 minutes when I'd spent days getting nowhere. The agent confirmed my verification had actually gone through despite no update showing anywhere else. Just go to Claimyr.com - worth every penny to actually speak to a human who can check your status instead of that useless automated message. The peace of mind alone was worth it.

According to the IRS.gov Knowledge Base article #37291 on identity verification, you can check your verification status through multiple channels: 1. IRS.gov account - Check your account transcript for TC 971 AC 123 code (indicates verification accepted) 2. Where's My Refund tool - Will update from "Being Processed" to "Approved" once verification clears 3. Tax transcript - Download and look for code 766 which indicates verification is complete 4. TaxpayerAdvocate.IRS.gov has a verification status lookup tool 5. The IRS2Go mobile app sometimes shows verification status under "Account" tab I check WMR daily using https://sa.www4.irs.gov/irfof/lang/en/irfofgetstatus.jsp which sometimes updates before the phone system does.

I went through this exact verification process in February. Called for 2 weeks straight with the same message. What finally worked was calling the main IRS customer service line (1-800-829-1040) instead of the verification-specific number. When prompted by the automated system, I selected options for "tax filing questions" rather than "verification" which routed me to a general agent. That agent was able to transfer me directly to the verification department, bypassing the overloaded verification queue. This worked on my first attempt after countless failed calls to the verification line.

The verification backlog right now is worse than any time since 2021. Most people are waiting 3-4 weeks compared to the normal 7-10 days. If you need your refund urgently, you should consider contacting your local Taxpayer Advocate Service office - they can flag your verification for expedited processing if you can demonstrate financial hardship (like pending eviction, utility shutoff, medical bills). The verification queue is processed in batches every Tuesday and Thursday, so check your transcript on Wednesday and Friday mornings for the best chance of seeing updates.