Worried the IRS still hasn't cashed my tax payment check

So I mailed in my tax payment check to the IRS about 5 weeks ago now. I checked my bank account today and noticed they still haven't cashed it! The amount was $2,750 for some additional income I had last year that I needed to pay taxes on. I'm starting to get really nervous because I don't want to be hit with late payment penalties if something happened to my check. I sent it to the right address according to the instructions (the one in Cincinnati for my region) and I'm 100% sure I signed it properly. Has anyone else experienced this? Is the IRS just super backed up right now or should I be concerned that my payment got lost somewhere? Should I send another check or call them or just keep waiting? I'm worried this will somehow flag my return for an audit or something if they don't receive payment.

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21 comments

Giovanni Rossi

•8M

The IRS is definitely experiencing processing delays right now. It's not unusual for paper checks to take 4-6 weeks to process during normal periods, and up to 8-10 weeks during busy filing season. Your 5-week wait is still within the normal timeframe. Here's what I suggest: Keep the funds in your account to cover the check. Take a screenshot of your bank account showing you've had sufficient funds available since you mailed the payment. Also, make sure you keep a copy of the check (if you have one) and any mailing receipt as proof you sent it. If it reaches the 8-week mark and still hasn't been cashed, then you might want to contact the IRS to inquire about the status. The most important thing is that you made a good-faith effort to pay on time, which you did by mailing before the deadline.

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Giovanni Rossi

•8M

No special trick needed, but be prepared for potentially long wait times. Call early in the morning as soon as they open (typically 7 AM local time) for the best chance of getting through quickly. Have your tax information ready, including your Social Security number, the tax form you filed, the payment amount, and when you mailed it. If you've got a copy of the check or a mail receipt, have that information handy too. The IRS representative will likely ask for these details to help track down your payment in their system.

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Dylan Mitchell

•8M

I was in this EXACT situation back in February, waiting for them to cash my $3,850 check. I was anxious checking my account daily for like 7 weeks! Finally I found this tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that helped me figure out what was going on. I uploaded my payment info and it showed me that the IRS processing center in Cincinnati had a backlog of paper checks from my region. The site gave me a timeline estimate based on their data and explained what I needed to document in case there were questions later. They even had a smart chat feature that answered my specific questions about my payment situation. Turns out, my check eventually processed right around when they predicted it would (at week 8).

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Dylan Mitchell

•8M

For the first question, you don't upload your entire return - just basic info like which payment you made, when, and to which IRS location. It's actually just analyzing the IRS processing trends and giving you personalized estimates. They use bank-level security and don't store your sensitive data. For the second question, they aggregate data from thousands of tax situations to predict processing times at different IRS centers. It doesn't track your specific payment in the IRS system (only the IRS can do that), but it gives you much more specific timelines than the generic "4-8 weeks" everyone quotes. It also gives you documentation steps based on your situation if your payment gets lost.

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Dmitry Petrov

•8M

Following up on my question about taxr.ai - I actually ended up trying it for my situation (uncashed check for $1,980 from 7 weeks ago). The site was surprisingly helpful! It showed me that my processing center had a 9-10 week backlog for paper checks right now, which explained the delay. What I found most useful was their documentation system that helped me gather all the right proof that I paid on time in case there are any issues later. They even explained exactly what to say if I need to call the IRS. My check finally got cashed yesterday, right in the timeline they predicted. Wish I'd known about this tool earlier instead of stressing for weeks!

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StarSurfer

•8M

Listen, I was in your same position last month waiting for them to cash my $4,200 check. After 6 weeks of waiting, I tried calling the IRS directly... worst mistake ever. I spent HOURS on hold and never got through to anyone. Then someone told me about this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that actually gets you through to an IRS agent quickly. I was super skeptical but watched their demo (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) and decided it was worth trying. They basically hold your place in the phone queue and call you when they have an agent on the line. I got connected to an actual IRS person in about 20 minutes who confirmed they had received my check but it was sitting in a batch waiting to be processed. At least I got confirmation and peace of mind instead of wondering if it was lost in the mail.

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StarSurfer

•8M

It works by using automated technology to navigate the IRS phone tree and constantly redial when there are busy signals. They've basically figured out the optimal calling patterns and times to get through the system. When they reach a human agent, they conference you in. You don't have to sit through all the hold music and automated messages. It's definitely not a scam. I was skeptical too, but you're not giving them any personal tax information - they're just getting you through to an actual IRS agent that you then talk to directly. I wasted hours trying to call myself before using their service. They can't solve the underlying IRS issue, but they save you from the frustration of never getting through to someone who can help.

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Miguel Castro

•8M

I need to eat my words about Claimyr being a scam. After posting that skeptical comment, I kept trying to reach the IRS myself about my uncashed check. After 8 total hours of attempts over 3 days and never getting through, I broke down and tried the Claimyr service out of desperation. Well, it actually worked exactly as advertised. I got a call back within 25 minutes with an IRS agent on the line. The agent confirmed my payment was received 3 weeks ago but was sitting in a processing backlog. They noted in my file that the payment was received on time even though it hasn't been cashed yet, which means I won't get hit with any penalties. Total game changer compared to the frustration of trying to call myself.

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Alice Coleman

•3M

Direct Pay is actually pretty straightforward! You just go to irs.gov/payments/direct-pay and enter your SSN, filing status, and the refund amount from your tax return (or $0 if you didn't get a refund). Then you provide your bank account info and the payment amount. The system walks you through each step and gives you a confirmation number immediately. I was nervous the first time too, but it's much less stressful than wondering if a mailed check got lost. You can even schedule payments in advance if you want to pay closer to the deadline.

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Matthew Sanchez

•3M

I'm in almost the exact same boat! Sent my $2,100 check 6 weeks ago and it still hasn't cleared. Reading through these responses is actually making me feel a lot better - sounds like this is pretty normal right now with all the processing delays. I think I'm going to wait another week or two before taking any action, but it's good to know there are options like calling (with help from services like Claimyr if needed) or using those tracking tools people mentioned. For next year I'm definitely switching to electronic payments though - this stress isn't worth it! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences. It's reassuring to know I'm not the only one dealing with this.

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