Verification Timeframe for Refund - IRS Said 130 Days?

Hey all! Just wanted to check what everyone's experience has been with refund timeframes after identity verification. My spouse and I filed jointly for the first time, and I had to complete ID verification through ID.me (which was a process in itself 🙄). After completing verification, the rep told me to expect up to 130 DAYS for processing. That seems incredibly long based on what I've read on the IRS website and various tax forums. According to the IRS FAQ page (https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/identity-verification-for-irs-letter-recipients), most refunds process within 9 weeks after verification. Has anyone gone through this recently? What was your actual wait time? I'm trying to plan our finances accordingly since we were counting on this refund for some home improvements.

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8 comments

Emily Parker

I might be able to provide some insight here. I had to verify my identity around mid-February, and it took approximately 8 weeks for my refund to be processed and sent. The timeline seems to possibly depend on several factors, including the complexity of your return and perhaps the current workload of the IRS department handling verifications. In my case, I received somewhat conflicting information from different sources, but the 9-week estimate turned out to be fairly accurate for me.

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- 14d

Victoria Scott

The IRS timeline is like a restaurant telling you there's a 2-hour wait when it's really 45 minutes. They'd rather surprise you with earlier delivery than disappoint you with delays. My verification process was like watching paint dry - seemed like forever but actually took about 10 weeks. I was slightly worried at week 8 when nothing happened, but then suddenly my transcript updated and the money appeared 3 days later. Just prepare yourself mentally for the long haul, and it'll feel like a nice surprise when it comes earlier.

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- 14d

Benjamin Johnson

If you're concerned about the timeline, I'd recommend taking these steps: 1. First, check your tax transcript weekly (not daily) to monitor progress 2. If you see no movement after 6 weeks, consider calling the IRS 3. When calling, be prepared for extremely long wait times This is where I found Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) incredibly helpful. Instead of spending hours on hold, Claimyr got me connected to an IRS agent in about 20 minutes. The agent confirmed my verification was complete but my return was in a secondary review queue. Having this information saved me weeks of anxiety wondering if something was wrong. Based on my experience, you'll likely see your refund within 60-75 days, not the full 130.

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- 12d

Zara Perez

Oh my goodness, I'm going through this EXACT situation right now! I was told 130 days too and I almost cried in frustration! I'm on day 63 after verification and still nothing. I'm so worried because I need this money for medical bills that are piling up. I keep checking WMR daily (probably too often) and it still shows "being processed" with no bars. I'm starting to wonder if I should call them again or if that will somehow reset my place in line? Has anyone had their refund take the full 130 days? I'm genuinely curious how often that actually happens.

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- 10d

Aaliyah Reed

I can address some of these questions based on my experience working with tax clients. According to Internal Revenue Manual 21.9.1.3, processing timeframes do vary by verification type and return complexity. Returns with refundable credits like EITC and CTC undergo additional screening through the PATH Act verification process, which can add 2-3 weeks to processing time after identity verification is complete. ID.me verification typically resolves faster than letter verification because it's entirely digital. As for filing method, e-filed returns are processed significantly faster post-verification than paper returns, which may take an additional 6-8 weeks due to manual processing requirements. I've seen clients receive refunds as quickly as 4 weeks after verification and others wait the full 130 days, though the latter is uncommon unless there are additional issues with the return.

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