Home |IRS Tax Return | What should I do next when the IRS initially informed me to wait up to 9 weeks after verifying my information in person, but now they are saying it's actually 180 days from verification and that this timeframe has restarted because I called them to inquire about my tax return status?

What should I do next when the IRS initially informed me to wait up to 9 weeks after verifying my information in person, but now they are saying it's actually 180 days from verification and that this timeframe has restarted because I called them to inquire about my tax return status?

Robert James, 20+ years of experience in IRS matters
Answered on September 19,2023

You will probably wait more than 180 days, and this would have happened whether you called or not. The departments that review returns are all very backlogged.

It sounds like something on your tax return triggered the program that looks for potentially fraudulent returns. Everything you have been told fits that pattern; there's no time frame when IRS has to issue a refund in this situation.

The main thing these returns have in common are large refunds.

Based on the (limited) facts you present, the phone representative was probably following the required procedure:

They should also have advised you to carefully review your return and amend, if needed, and look for correspondence from the department that set the Refund Freeze condition.

If the delay is presenting a verifiable economic hardship, contact your Congressional Representative

Directory of Representatives

or Senators

Contact Senators

for a constituent referral to Taxpayer Advocate Service.

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