What happens after IRS verification process? How long until refund arrives?
I just got a letter from the IRS saying I need to verify my identity before they can process my refund. This has never happened to me before in all my years filing taxes. They sent me this letter about 3 weeks after I e-filed in April 2024. Has anyone gone through this process recently? What's it like? Do I need to bring specific documents? And most importantly - how long did it take after verification to actually get your refund? Really appreciate any insights since I was counting on that money for some home repairs this summer.
64 comments


AstroAlpha
I went through this last year. The verification process itself isn't bad, but it can be time-consuming. You'll need to either call a specific number on your letter or verify online through ID.me. For in-person verification, bring your photo ID, social security card, and copies of your tax returns (current and previous year). They'll ask questions to confirm your identity. After verification, it took about 4 weeks for my refund to hit my account. The IRS says it can take up to 9 weeks after verification, but mine was faster. Make sure you keep checking your transcript online - that's where you'll see movement first. Look for codes 570 (refund hold) and then hopefully 571 (hold released) followed by 846 (refund issued). Good luck! The waiting is definitely the worst part.
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Chloe Davis
•Thank you so much for the detailed response! I'm dreading the waiting period. Did you have to do the ID.me thing or did you verify another way?
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AstroAlpha
•I did the ID.me route since I couldn't get thru on the phone. It was pretty simple but you need a smartphone for the facial recognition part. They ask for pics of your ID and a selfie video. Took maybe 15 mins total.
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Diego Chavez
•I had to do ID.me and it was HORRIBLE. The facial scan kept failing, then it wanted me to do a video call but kept putting me in a 2 hour queue. Finally got it done but took me like 3 attempts across 2 days 🤬
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Anastasia Smirnova
•This is why I just went to the local office instead of dealing with the ID.me mess. Took 20 mins in-person but at least it was done.
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Sean O'Brien
Instead of stressing and trying to piece together info from random strangers, I actually found a much better solution! I used taxr.ai to analyze my transcript and it explained exactly what was happening with my verification hold AND predicted when my refund would arrive based on statistics from thousands of similar cases. It was so much clearer than the vague info the IRS gives. The tool decoded all those confusing transcript codes and explained everything in plain English. Seriously a game changer for understanding what's actually happening with your taxes. Check it out: https://taxr.ai
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Zara Shah
•Sounds interesting. How exactly does it work? Does it just read your transcript or does it do more?
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Sean O'Brien
•It's actually WAY more useful than I expected. You upload your transcript and it uses AI to analyze all your codes, dates, and amounts. Then it gives you a complete breakdown of what's happening, why you're delayed, and when you can expect movement. It found issues in my transcript I never would have noticed and explained exactly what they meant. Best tax tool I've ever used hands down 💯
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Luca Bianchi
•another tax startup promising miracles... what makes this different from all the other garbage out there?
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Sean O'Brien
•I get the skepticism - I was there too. The difference is this actually delivers. It's built by people who understand the IRS systems and they're constantly updating it with the latest patterns and codes. Not trying to be a hype man but when something actually works after months of frustration, you want others to know about it.
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GalacticGuardian
After weeks of trying to get through to IRS on their regular number (busy signal every single time), I discovered this app called Claimyr that got me a callback from an actual IRS agent within hours. The agent walked me through the whole verification process over the phone and answered all my questions. Total game changer after weeks of frustration. My refund was released just 6 days later. Here's the link if you need it: claimyr.com
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Nia Harris
•wait is this for real? sounds too good to be true after I've spent literally days trying to get through to a human at the IRS
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GalacticGuardian
•100% real. It basically navigates the IRS phone system for you and reserves a callback spot. The agent called me back about 2 hours after I used it. Honestly best money i ever spent considering i was about to miss a mortgage payment waiting for my refund 😬
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Mateo Gonzalez
•does it actually work? i've been trying to get through for WEEKS with no luck
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GalacticGuardian
•Yes! I was super desperate after trying for 3 weeks straight to get someone on the phone. The app got me a callback the same day. Getting that verification hold released saved me thousands in potential penalties.
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Chloe Davis
•Omg this sounds amazing. I'm definitely checking this out because I've been calling that verification number for days now and just getting the "try again later" message. Thank you!!!
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Aisha Ali
I went through it 2 months ago. Total nightmare. Took me 7 calls to even get thru the phone line. Then another 6 weeks after verification before refund showed up. The irs is so backed up right now.
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Ethan Moore
•Same here. The hold music is permanently burned into my brain at this point 🙃
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Chloe Davis
•Oh no, that doesn't sound promising... I really needed this refund sooner rather than later. Did you try calling different times of day?
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Aisha Ali
•Yep! Early morning seemed to work best (right when they open). But even then it was hit or miss. And don't even try calling on a Monday - absolute waste of time.
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Yuki Nakamura
I had to verify last yeear. It's honestly not a big deal, just annoying that they make you jump through hoops. The stupid part is if you recently moved they sometimes cant verify you through their regular channels. If your tryin to get a hold of them do it early in the week, first thing in the morning. It took them like 5 weeks after I verified to get my refund.
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StarSurfer
Check your WMR (Where's My Refund) and transcript daily after you verify. Mine showed no update for 5 weeks then suddenly changed to approved overnight and the money hit my account 2 days later. The verification itself is actually pretty quick once you get through - they just need to confirm some basic info from previous returns.
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Carmen Reyes
•But you need an account to check transcript, and if you're locked out of your account due to verification issues... catch 22 😭
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StarSurfer
•true, but once you verify successfully u should get transcript access again. thats how it worked for me at least. was locked out, did verification, then could access everythin again including transcript.
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Andre Moreau
Went through this in 2023. Got a letter saying they needed to verify my identity. Called the number on the letter but couldn't get through. Tried ID.me but it kept failing. Finally made an appointment at my local IRS office. Brought my ID, SS card, and tax documents. After verification, took 8 weeks to get my refund. The IRS is moving at glacial speed these days. Hope you have better luck than I did!
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Zoe Christodoulou
•This ⬆️ Making an in-person appointment is actually the fastest route if you're able to do it!
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Jamal Thompson
•How did you make an appointment? Every time I call that number it says they're not taking appointments rn
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Andre Moreau
•You have to call the TAC appointment line at 844-545-5640. But here's the trick - call right at 7am when they open. Don't bother trying later in the day.
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Mei Chen
THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED AGAINST US REGULAR FOLKS. They can take their sweet time giving us OUR MONEY but if we owe them one penny they come after us with penalties and interest. Been waiting 11 months for my 2022 refund because of "verification" issues. ELEVEN MONTHS!!!
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CosmicCadet
•preach it 🙌 the double standard is unreal
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Liam O'Connor
•11 months?! what the actual f***... did you contact your congressperson? that's what I had to do to get movement
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Mei Chen
•Yeah contacted everyone. Congressman, TAS, even called the White House comment line lol. Nothing helped until finally got someone on the phone who actually fixed it. System is totally broken.
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Amara Adeyemi
Just finished my verification 3 days ago! They asked questions about previous returns like old addresses, employers, filing status etc. Had to confirm info from my 2021 return specifically. I verified over the phone (took 5 attempts to get through). They said 9 weeks but I'm hoping it's faster. I'll update if my refund comes through before then!
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Chloe Davis
•Thanks! Would love to know when yours comes through! Fingers crossed it's faster than 9 weeks 🤞
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Giovanni Gallo
look at your transcript! if you see code 570, thats a refund hold. after verification, you want to see code 571 which means the hold was removed. then wait for code 846 which is your refund date. verification can take 30 days to process and then another 2-3 weeks for refund in my experience. dont trust the wmr tool, its always behind the transcript.
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Fatima Al-Mazrouei
am i the only one who thinks its sus that they need us to verify identity AFTER accepting our returns? like they already took our ssn, address, income info, bank info etc... what more do they need to verify? just feels like a delay tactic to me 🤷♀️
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Dylan Wright
•it's bc of the massive identity theft problem with tax returns. still annoying tho
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Fatima Al-Mazrouei
•Maybe, but its weird how some people get verification requests every year and others never do. Seems random to me.
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NebulaKnight
•Not random at all. If your return has certain flags like first time filing, big change in income, moving to a new state, claiming new credits, etc it triggers verification. Source: my cousin works for the IRS
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Sofia Ramirez
I had to verify this year, took about 7.5 weeks after verification to get my refund. The most frustrating part is there's no way to check the status of your verification - you just have to wait and hope. Keep checking your transcript for code changes. When I called they just kept saying "still processing" until suddenly one day it wasn't anymore.
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Dmitry Popov
•This right here! The lack of transparency is what kills me. Just tell us what's happening!
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Sofia Ramirez
•exactly! and everyone at the IRS gives you different info too. first person said 3 weeks, second said 9 weeks, third said "we don't know" 🙄
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Ava Rodriguez
If you've read the other comments, you know it's gonna be a looooong wait lol. But seriously, I used taxr.ai last month when I was stuck in verification hell and it was actually super helpful for understanding my transcript. It showed me exactly where I was in the process and what to expect next. I thought my verification was processed but their analysis showed I still had an open 570 code without a matching 571 release code. Saved me weeks of false hope! https://taxr.ai
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Miguel Ortiz
•Same here! taxr.ai literally predicted my refund date to within 2 days. Crazy accurate and way better than all the random reddit guessing I was doing before
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Zainab Khalil
Dealing with this exact situation right now. I found that using Claimyr.com helped me get through to an IRS rep within hours instead of days of calling. Once I spoke to someone, they verified me over the phone and my refund was processed within 3 weeks. Speaking to a human made all the difference. My tax situation was pretty straightforward so I think that's why it didn't take the full 9 weeks they quoted me.
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QuantumQuest
•how does that claimyr thing work? seems sketchy
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Zainab Khalil
•Not sketchy at all! It just navigates the phone system and holds your place in line. When an agent is available, you get a call back. Saved me from pulling my hair out hitting redial for days. Talking to an actual human at the IRS resolved my verification in one call instead of weeks of wondering.
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Connor Murphy
Hey there! I went through verification in February this year. It's fairly simple - I did mine through ID.me since I couldn't get through on the phone. They'll ask for your ID, SSN card, and may ask questions about previous tax returns. After verification, it took exactly 6 weeks and 2 days before my refund was deposited. The system is definitely backed up, so prepare for a wait. Check your transcript weekly (not daily - will drive you crazy).
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Yara Haddad
Been throuhg it twice in the last 3 years. First time took 12 weeks after verification. Second time was only 4 weeks. Seems totally random. The one tip I have is DONT call the main IRS number - use the specific verification line on your letter. Completely different departments.
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Chloe Davis
•That's helpful, thank you! I'll make sure to call the specific verification number on my letter.
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Keisha Robinson
This happened to my husband last year. His identity was stolen a few years back so now he has to verify EVERY SINGLE YEAR. Such a pain. Anyway, last year it took about 5 weeks after verification for his refund to arrive. Make sure you set up an account on the IRS website if you don't already have one - that way you can check your transcript for updates rather than relying on the Where's My Refund tool.
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Paolo Conti
pro tip from someone who's done this dance before: if you absolutely cannot get through on the verification number OR complete ID.me successfully, call the Taxpayer Advocate Service. They cant verify you directly but they can escalate your case and get someone to call YOU for verification. Saved me weeks of frustration last year.
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Amina Sow
•👆 this is the real pro tip
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GalaxyGazer
They sent me a verification letter in March. Completed it the next day through ID.me. Still waiting for my refund in June. Called multiple times and they just keep saying "still processing" and to allow 9 weeks. Its been 13 weeks now. The IRS is a dumpster fire.
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Oliver Wagner
•have you tried contacting your congressperson? seriously, that's what finally got mine moving after 14 weeks of nothing
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GalaxyGazer
•I actually just did that yesterday! Filled out the release form and everything. Did your congressperson actually help? How long did it take after you contacted them?
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Oliver Wagner
•took about 3 weeks from when i contacted them to when i got my refund. they have special liaisons at the IRS who can actually look into things regular agents cant/wont.
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Andre Laurent
I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Got my verification letter about 2 weeks ago and I'm honestly pretty nervous about the whole process. Reading through everyone's experiences here is both helpful and terrifying at the same time 😅 It sounds like the timeline is all over the place - some people getting their refunds in 4 weeks, others waiting months. I'm really hoping mine falls on the shorter side since I also have some expenses I was planning to cover with that money. Has anyone had success with calling early in the morning? I keep seeing that tip mentioned. I'm thinking of trying the phone route first before dealing with ID.me since it sounds like that can be hit or miss. Really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences - it's so much more helpful than the vague info on the IRS website!
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Sofia Gutierrez
•Welcome to the verification club nobody wants to join! 😅 I totally get the nervousness - I was stressed out of my mind when I first got that letter. The early morning calling strategy definitely works better than trying later in the day. I'd recommend calling right at 7am when they open. Also, have all your documents ready before you call - they'll want your ID, SSN card, and info from your current and previous year returns. The waiting is honestly the worst part, but at least you know you're not alone in this! Keep us posted on how it goes for you.
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Ravi Patel
I went through this nightmare last year and it was honestly one of the most frustrating experiences of my life. Got the verification letter in March, tried calling for weeks with no luck getting through. Finally did the ID.me verification which took me 3 attempts because their system kept glitching. The whole process from verification to actually getting my refund took about 10 weeks. What made it worse was that every IRS agent I spoke to gave me different timelines - first they said 6 weeks, then 9 weeks, then "we don't have a timeframe." My advice: definitely try calling the verification number on your letter first thing in the morning (7am sharp when they open). If that doesn't work after a few days, go with ID.me but be prepared for technical issues. And whatever you do, don't trust the Where's My Refund tool - it's completely useless during verification. Check your transcript instead if you can access it. The silver lining is that once it's processed, the money does come through. Just prepare yourself mentally for a long wait and try not to stress about it too much (easier said than done, I know). Good luck with your home repairs - hopefully yours moves faster than mine did!
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Kelsey Chin
•Thanks for sharing your experience! 10 weeks sounds rough but it's good to know the money does eventually come through. I'm definitely going to try the 7am calling strategy first - seems like that's the consensus from everyone here. Really appreciate the heads up about the Where's My Refund tool being unreliable during verification. I hadn't thought about checking the transcript instead. Fingers crossed my situation moves a bit faster, but I'm trying to mentally prepare for the long haul. At least now I know what to expect thanks to everyone's stories here!
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Ryder Ross
I'm in the exact same boat! Just received my verification letter yesterday and honestly feeling pretty overwhelmed reading through everyone's experiences. It sounds like there's no guaranteed timeline and everyone's situation is different. From what I'm gathering here, the key takeaways seem to be: - Call the verification number on your letter at exactly 7am when they open - Have all your documents ready (ID, SSN card, previous tax returns) - If calling doesn't work, try ID.me but be prepared for potential technical issues - Check your transcript rather than Where's My Refund tool - Expect anywhere from 4-12+ weeks after verification The inconsistent information from IRS agents is what worries me most. Some of you got wildly different timelines from different representatives. I'm going to try the phone route first thing tomorrow morning and see if I can get through. Thanks to everyone sharing their stories - it's frustrating that we all have to go through this, but at least we're not alone in the experience. I'll update if I have any luck getting through by phone!
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Sean Flanagan
•Welcome to the verification waiting room! 😅 You've got a great summary of all the key points from everyone's experiences. I just want to add that even though the timelines are all over the place, almost everyone here eventually got their refund - so try not to stress too much about it (I know, easier said than done when you're waiting on your money!). One thing I noticed from reading through all these comments is that the people who got through by phone seemed to have slightly better experiences than those dealing with ID.me technical issues. So definitely give the 7am calling strategy a solid try before going the online route. And don't get discouraged if it takes several attempts - persistence seems to pay off based on what others have shared here. Good luck tomorrow morning! Hope you're one of the lucky ones who gets through on the first try. Keep us posted on how it goes!
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Amina Diallo
I just went through this verification process about 6 weeks ago, so your timing with this question is perfect! Here's what I learned from my experience: The verification itself was actually pretty straightforward once I got through to someone. I tried the 7am calling strategy that everyone mentions here, and it worked - got through on my third attempt. The agent asked me to confirm some basic info from my 2023 and 2022 returns (previous addresses, filing status, AGI amounts, etc). The whole call took maybe 15 minutes. After verification, it took exactly 5 weeks for my refund to hit my account. I obsessively checked my transcript every few days and watched for those code changes people mentioned - saw the 570 hold code disappear and then got the 846 refund issued code about a week before the money actually arrived. One thing I wish someone had told me: save the date you completed verification and mark your calendar for the 9-week point. That way you have a realistic expectation and won't drive yourself crazy checking daily. The IRS really does seem to be processing these slower than they used to. For your home repairs - definitely have a backup plan for financing just in case it takes longer than expected. But based on most experiences here, you should see your refund sometime in the next 6-8 weeks if you get verified soon. Good luck!
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