Where's my tax refund? Been waiting 4 months with no updates

Thanks for the info! I just checked my transcript again and see code 570 and 971 both dated 07/12/2025. Does that mean they sent me a letter? I haven't received anything in the mail.

Yes, the 971 means they sent a notice. It could be taking a while to arrive or maybe got lost. You might want to call and request a copy of the notice. The 570/971 combo usually means they found a discrepancy they're reviewing.

this happened to me last year. the letter took almost 3 weeks to arrive after the 971 code showed up on my transcript. IRS mail is SLOW 🐌

Sounds interesting. How exactly does it work? Does it just read your transcript or does it do more?

It scans your entire transcript and explains every code and date in plain english. It also tells you if there are any issues, what they mean, and what steps you need to take. Mine showed I had a verification hold that needed documentation. The tool even gave me the exact form I needed to submit and where to send it. Finally got my refund two weeks after following their instructions!

OMG I JUST TRIED THIS AND WOW!!! It showed me exactly why my refund was delayed - something about a math error adjustment I never would have figured out on my own. Anyone dealing with IRS issues needs to try this immediately! Best tool ever for dealing with tax nightmares 💯

another scam app promising miracles? how does it even work? the IRS phone system is literally designed to be impenetrable

Not a scam at all. It basically navigates the IRS phone system for you and reserves a spot in line. When an agent is available, they call you back. I was skeptical too but after months of getting nowhere myself, it was the best decision I made. Got my $5300 refund after one 15-minute call with an agent who explained everything.

I used this too! Took like 45 mins for me but I FINALLY got through. Agent told me my return was flagged for review but they cleared it right on the phone. refund hit my account 8 days later!

wait fr? might have to try this... I've been calling literally every day for weeks and always get the 'call back later' message 🤦‍♀️

I created an account and checked my transcript but all those codes are confusing. I see dates and numbers but don't know what they mean.

There's a guide to transcript codes on the IRS website but it's super confusing. Honestly sites like taxr.ai explain it wayyyy better. They break down each code in normal human language lol

When I was trying to figure out my transcript last month it was like reading hieroglyphics 🤣 why can't they just use plain english ffs

THIS. My congressman's office helped me get my refund after 6 months of nothing. Had my money 3 weeks after they got involved.

Do you just call their office? What info do you need to provide them?

Yep, just call your rep's local office (not DC office) and say you need help with an IRS issue. They'll have you fill out a privacy release form and explain your situation. They usually have dedicated staff who deal with federal agencies.

Facts! They can garnish wages and levy accounts when we owe them but make us jump through hoops to get our own money back.

fr they can find you if you owe them 5 cents but when they owe YOU suddenly they move slower than a turtle in molasses 🐢

I once got a letter saying I owed $27 from 3 years ago with penalties already added. But when they owe me thousands I gotta wait half a year. Make it make sense.

Yes I claimed EIC. I didn't know that would cause delays.

Yeah the IRS is required by law to hold refunds with EITC until mid-February at minimum, but with all the backlog issues they're taking much longer. They manually review a lot of those returns.

Another plug for this service? 🤔

I get the skepticism but it genuinely helped me understand wtf was happening with my return after months of confusion. The IRS makes everything so unnecessarily complicated.

I just tried it and wow - it showed that my return was flagged for income verification because my W2 from one employer didn't match what they reported. Would've never figured that out on my own!

Yall convinced me to try it. Pretty cool actually - explained that i had an offset for an old student loan I forgot about. Cleared up why my refund amount changed.

what even is claimyr? never heard of it

its this app that basically waits on hold with the IRS for you. when they get someone on the line, they call you and connect you. saved me literal hours of hold music. after 3 months of no updates I finally got answers and fixed the issue!

hmm might check it out. been trying to call the IRS for weeks 😩

I read that some of their systems still run on COBOL. Like literally programming from the 60s/70s. Insane.

they just got funding and blew it all on hiring more auditors to go after regular people instead of fixing their broken systems 🙄

I used one of those online tax software programs. Do you think that's part of the problem?

Possibly. The cheap tax software doesn't always catch everything that might trigger a review. Not saying you did anything wrong, but sometimes the way info is entered matters.

how does claimyr actually work? seems sketchy

nothing sketchy about it - they basically call the IRS over and over using their system until they get through. when they get an agent on the line, they call you and connect you. saved me hours of frustration and got my $3900 refund released.

literally just used this last week after seeing a similar post. got through to IRS in 35 minutes after trying for WEEKS on my own. issue resolved in one call.

Just used taxr.ai after seeing your comment. Explained EVERYTHING about my situation. Turns out I'm getting a math adjustment that will actually increase my refund! Would have never figured that out on my own.

another ad? 🙄

Not an ad - just sharing what worked for me after 3 months of getting nowhere. The IRS isn't exactly helpful with explaining things in plain english.

dont knock it till you try it. i wasted weeks trying to understand my transcript before finding this. showed me exactly why my refund was delayed and what to expect next.

This is really helpful advice! I'm in a similar situation - filed in March and still waiting. The medical bills part really hits home because that's exactly why I need my refund too. Going to try the Taxpayer Advocate Service route since I've been waiting over 4 months now. Thanks for breaking down the options so clearly!