Where's my 2024 tax refund after filing with H&R Block?
My supervisor helped me file my taxes this year since it's my first time doing it (I'm 22). She helped me file electronically through H&R Block back on February 6th, and it was accepted by the IRS that same day. My refund should be pretty substantial since I'm claiming my daughter and qualified for the Earned Income Tax Credit. It's now March 15th, and when I check the "Where's My Refund" tool on IRS.gov, it still just shows "Your return is being processed" with no progress bar or estimated date. I expected to get my refund by now - it's been almost 6 weeks! Is this normal or should I be concerned? I was really counting on this money to catch up on some bills.
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Oliver Alexander
This is actually pretty common, especially for first-time filers claiming dependents and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). The IRS is legally required to hold EITC refunds until at least February 15th to verify information and prevent fraud. Even after that date, it can take additional time for processing. Since it's been about 6 weeks, I'd recommend checking your return status using the official IRS "Where's My Refund" tool or the IRS2Go mobile app. Make sure you have your exact refund amount, filing status, and SSN ready. If it still shows "processing," that's normal but if it says there's an issue, you might need to respond to an IRS letter that should arrive in the mail. If you don't see any updates by the 8-week mark, you can try calling the IRS directly, though wait times can be very long.
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Lara Woods
•Thanks for the info. I'm in a similar situation but filed in January. Does claiming a child automatically flag your return for a longer review? And does being a first-time filer also slow things down?
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Oliver Alexander
•Claiming a child doesn't automatically flag your return, but the EITC often leads to additional verification steps. The IRS has special procedures for EITC claims to prevent fraud, which can extend processing time. Being a first-time filer can sometimes cause slight delays as there's no previous filing history for the IRS to compare against, but this isn't usually significant. The bigger factor is definitely the EITC claim, which has mandatory review periods built into the process.
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Adrian Hughes
I was in the exact same boat last year. Waited FOREVER for my refund with the EITC. What helped me was using taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) to analyze my return and make sure everything was correct. The site actually found that my employer had incorrectly coded one of my income sources which was likely causing the delay! I uploaded my documents and their AI tool identified the issue right away. Might be worth checking if there's anything weird in your return that could be holding things up.
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Molly Chambers
•I've never heard of this service. How does it actually work? Like do you have to upload your whole tax return with all your personal info?
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Ian Armstrong
•Sounds kinda fishy tbh. How much does it cost? And are you sure it's not just some data harvesting scheme?
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Adrian Hughes
•The service scans your tax documents for inconsistencies or errors that might be causing delays. You upload your return (they use bank-level encryption), and their AI analyzes it against IRS rules and current processing trends. It's actually pretty sophisticated at spotting issues human preparers miss. They have different privacy settings, so you can actually choose to blur/block out sensitive info like your SSN and just have it analyze the tax data itself. They don't store your documents after analysis - there's a pretty clear privacy policy that explains it all.
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Ian Armstrong
Ok I was super skeptical about taxr.ai when I posted earlier but I decided to try it since my refund has been stuck for 7 weeks. Not gonna lie, it actually worked! The system identified that there was a mismatch between what my employer reported on my W-2 and what was entered on my return. There was literally a transposed number that I would have NEVER caught. I called H&R Block with this info and they helped me file an amended return. The IRS released my refund like 10 days later! Would have been stuck in limbo for who knows how long otherwise. Just wanted to update since I was the one being all suspicious before.
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Eli Butler
After struggling with the "Where's My Refund" tool showing no progress for weeks, I finally decided I needed to actually TALK to someone at the IRS. Impossible, right? I spent days trying to get through on their phone lines with no luck. Then I found Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) - they have this service that basically waits on hold with the IRS for you, then calls you when an agent is actually on the line. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was honestly shocked when I got a call back with an actual IRS agent on the line! Found out my return was flagged for identity verification (which happens a lot with first-time filers). The agent told me exactly what I needed to do, and my refund was processed within 2 weeks after that. Saved me so much stress.
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Marcus Patterson
•Wait, how does that even work? Like, they just call the IRS for you? I don't understand how they can get through when nobody else can.
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Lydia Bailey
•This sounds like total BS. Everyone knows it's impossible to get through to the IRS. And even if it worked, they're probably charging like $100 just to make a phone call for you. No thanks.
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Eli Butler
•They use an automated system that continuously dials and navigates the IRS phone tree until it gets through to an agent. When an agent answers, their system calls you and connects you directly to that agent. It basically does the waiting on hold part for you. They have dedicated lines and advanced technology that helps them navigate the IRS phone system efficiently. It's not that they have special access - they're just really good at getting through the normal channels that are available to everyone. The difference is they have systems doing the waiting instead of you sitting on hold for hours.
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Lydia Bailey
Ok I need to eat my words from my previous comment. After another week of getting nowhere with the IRS website, I broke down and tried Claimyr. Within 2 HOURS I was talking to an actual human at the IRS! Turns out my return was on hold because they couldn't verify my identity as a first-time filer. The agent helped me complete the verification on the phone and told me my refund should be processed within 9 days. Just got the direct deposit this morning! Would have been waiting for months if I hadn't been able to talk to someone. Sometimes you gotta admit when you're wrong, and I was definitely wrong about this service. If you're stuck in refund limbo, it's totally worth it to actually talk to a human who can tell you what's going on.
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Mateo Warren
Something else to check - make sure your bank account info was entered correctly when you filed. My sister had a delay because she transposed two digits in her account number. The IRS tried to deposit the refund, it bounced back, and then they had to mail her a paper check which took another 3-4 weeks. Double check that your direct deposit info was entered correctly!
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Kaylee Cook
•I just double-checked all my banking info and everything looks correct. My boss was super careful when entering everything. Is there any way to confirm with the IRS that they have the right account number on file?
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Mateo Warren
•Unfortunately, you can't verify the exact account details the IRS has on file through the Where's My Refund tool. The best way to confirm would be to speak with an IRS representative directly, which goes back to the challenge of reaching someone. If your return was e-filed through H&R Block, you could also contact them to verify what banking information was submitted with your return. They should have records of exactly what was sent to the IRS.
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Sofia Price
One thing nobody mentioned - if you file with EITC and a dependent, the IRS sometimes requires additional documentation. Check your mail regularly! They might have sent you a letter requesting more info to verify your eligibility. It happened to me last year and my refund was on hold until I responded.
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Alice Coleman
•This is so true. The IRS sent me a letter asking for proof my kid lived with me, and it got lost in a pile of junk mail. I never responded and my refund was delayed for MONTHS.
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