You filed your 2011 tax return early and didn’t get your refund? Yes, according to the alert from the IRS, there is a delay again this year. 2012 tax refunds are delayed approximately one week.
What’s the Reason for the Delay?
According to the IRS:
The one-week delay for some refunds relates to fine-tuning IRS systems to adjust for new safeguards put in place this tax season to provide stronger protection against refund fraud. The IRS is providing additional screening for fraud this year before issuing refunds, but the vast majority of taxpayers can still continue to expect to receive their refunds in a timely fashion.
Update: The IRS requested tax preparers to return to legacy efile processing on Feb. 11, 2012. Here is the latest update from the IRS for tax preparers about the Modernized e-File the IRS was testing in 2012:
- We have discovered some issues with linkages to downstream processing systems that have primarily affected returns filed between February 6 and 10, 2012. Those issues, we believe, have been resolved.
- However, as a temporary measure to ensure future processing runs smoothly, and to provide adequate time to complete processing of the affected returns, we have temporarily lifted all restrictions on the Legacy system. We encourage you to use Legacy until further notice.
- Be assured all systems used for processing returns are operational and are accepting returns.
- Some taxpayers who filed electronically and received an acknowledgement from the IRS are concerned when they visit “Where’s My Refund” and are told that IRS has no information regarding their tax return. The IRS informed us on February 10 that this is a temporary situation and should be resolved in several days. At that time, you will be able to get an expected refund date when you visit “Where’s My Refund.”
- IRS expects the vast majority of tax refunds to continue to be issued within the historical range of 10 to 21 days.
Another Update: Preparers can return to using modernized efile, but no additional timeframes were released.
Share your results: Poll: How Long Did it Take to Get Your Tax Refund?
How Long is the Refund Delay?
If your refund is subject to the delay, you’ll get your refund “approximately one week later” then the initial refund projections.
Who is Subject to the Delay?
At this time, the IRS hasn’t said which taxypayers are impacted by the delay. They state that “some taxpayers” will get their refunds later. As soon as we know who is impacted, we’ll update our information.
To find out if you might be subject to the IRS tax filing delay this year, check the Where’s My Refund? tracker to check the status of your tax refund and see if the date changed. The IRS said that the Where’s My Refund tracker is subject to revision, so I hope they’ll update it for those who are impacted by the delay.
You can continue to efile your tax returns, and companies like TurboTax will allow you to file your form as usual.
More Tax Filing Questions
Hi there….I’m a tax pro out of West Central Texas, and I learned, yesterday, that the processing delay is affecting more than the Schedule A filers, etc. I,along with several clients of mine, submitted our tax return to the IRS via e-file on 1/14/2011…my return was accepted and being processed by the 18th. Upon checking the IRS site, using “where’s my refund”, I got an initial date of February 1st. I found this odd, because the refund cycle chart I have been using for over a decade, said different. Okay though, no big deal. I check the IRS site, using “where’s my refund” again, on 1/27/2011 and discovered that due to “processing delays”….my deposit date had been moved to 2/8/2011. Mind you, I did not file a schedule A, or Educator Expenses…nor did I have any College expenses. Ok..so what’s going on ?? I call the IRS, only to be on hold for 20 minutes, to finally be connected to a lady who could barely speak english…then she connects me to the Accounts department, where, after another 10 minutes on hold, i get a computer voice telling me that my call cannot be connected at this time….OK…I call back.After another 20 minutes on hold, I get another woman who tells me that the delay in PROCESSING could be caused from an invalid SS# or a wrong name or a wrong birthday…WHAT ? I am speaking with a woman who works in the personal accounts department and she’s telling me that it’s due to invalid info ?? WRONG…Everyone knows that a return with invalid or unmatching info gets kicked LONG before it even reaches the processing stage. I informed her that my return was successfully accepted by the IRS on the 18th with no code 510 or 512…she was a bit shocked that I knew codes by heart, and stammered to find me someone to give me the right information. SO…I was patched thru again, to another account department, where I spoke to Mrs. Silk. Mrs. Silk pulled up my return, said it was accepted, but was delayed due to a new system that they had installed allowing payments to go out on ANY day, instead of just fridays now….Um…did I mention that I’ve been doing this for YEARS ??…So basically, what she told me was, the refund cycle chart that we Pros have been using for decades, is now obsolete, and NO ONE has been updated on what is going on at the IRS which is causing a mess for ppl not affected by the Tax changes. Oh…did I mention that our IRS is outsourcing calls to India ?? Yea, Mrs. Silk told me that it was because they are so busy, they can’t get to the calls in a timely manner….explains why I got a person, initially, that could barely speak english.
So…the Moral of this story is, even if you didn’t file a Schedule A (itemize), or have Educator Expenses, or Education deductions…You still maybe delayed cuz, well, in my opinion, they have no clue what they’re doing at the IRS.
Hello BH Anderson!
Thank you so much for taking the time to write about your experience. I am sure if you had this issue, many others will experience it as well. I had no idea they had outsourced the phone calls to India! Sounds like Dell….
B H Anderson~ My refund is also delayed…reference code 1201. I was told by the IRS agent that, that code is a generic code…doesn’t really mean anything. I received a letter from the IRS which basically said my refund is being delayed but they do not need any info from me. Just to wait up to 45 days! So that will make it March 18th
WTH???
They know exactly what they are doing. First and foremost, they are keeping those voters in India in a job. Second, and most importantly, the government is collecting interest on all of our money, while we sit and wait for it.
what does the codes 510 or 512 mean?
Ha ha!!! This is a whole bunch of woopla, the heck are we d
oing “outsourcing”? Strategy my toosh! We can’t put Americans back to work but we’ll make some use of the guy with the long dress on and the open toed sandals; and the girl with the Hanna drawn on both hands and feet, and the red dot in their forehead…. Lol don’t get me wrong I love India, I an partially Indian and I know their struggle. But I was born in the U.S.of.A and I also know our struggles. And I am proud of all of my cultural influences. Knock-knock, who’s there, America needs, America needs who, America needs their jobs back before we end up becoming a 3rd no scratch that a 4th 4th world country. IJS
We’re the US and we can’t even hold on to a job, or health care. SMDH….we can’t even bail our own selves out of crap… And we help others but look who’s helping us…..
Stay in prayer you guys…
Thank you for that i have been looking for a week now to explain the 2/1 to 2/8 delays and no one else had any info i figured it was due to the IRS and there new systems but couldn’t find any info on it now I just hope it doesn’t delay again
I had the same delay…very straightforward return. I called this morning to make sure it was still “on track” and not going to be delayed again and the rep said it was to be deposited on the 4th of Feb. I don’t know if this helps anyone else, but thought I’d share.
I filed my return and the IRS received in on January 24th. At first the Where is my Refund? website stated it was processing and I would receive it by 02/08/2011. Checked today and it says due to processing delays I should receive my refund my 02/22/2011. I call the IRS to get two answers. First lady told me I needed to allow 3 weeks for processing. Ok cool, when realizing the 22nd was FAR OFF from 3 weeks I called back and another lady tells me that since filing primary SS# (instead of joint since I am no longer married) that they have to create a whole new account for my ss#. To allow an extra week for that….and that there seems to be nothing wrong with the return and no letters going out as of yet. Sounds like a big joke to me. My friend who used Turbo Tax the same day will have her check direct deposited on the 4th, with no delay at all. Makes no sense.
hey lauren i experiencing the processing delay also i dont know what is going on my tax preparer says he doesnt c anything wrong or a letter or anything but i should have recieved my refund bk by the 28 of january then it went to the 1st of feb,now due to processing delays they say by the 22 of feb,if u find out anything let me know.and what is the code 510 or 512 do u knw
Hey there. Not sure what those codes are, but still no refund here my date says 02/22. Friend of mine her husband filed 01/24 and his date at one point changed to 02/22, but is now saying this Friday 02/11. I’m not sure if they are jus completely behind, or what the deal is. I kno 2 other people being delayed jus like me and they used a tax preparer such as Jackson Hewitt or Liberty Tax like myself. Everytime I call I get a different answer, or end up being hung up on after a 15 min hold. I am personally tired of dealing with the IRS and just want my refund. It’s been past 3 weeks as of yesterday and I’m pretty upset. As far as the new tax breaks I think they are just holding everyone’s refund because they don’t know what they are doinq.
I think the 512 or 510 means an invalid social securuty number or name spelling. If you read up to the post bt BH Anderson, i think he mentions this. Hope that helps!
I am glad to here that they are sending those calls to india or wherever. Even when we had one of us sitting in there never got a goo danswer bacl so it doe snot matter. At least we will save some taxpayers money now.
expense pof an american callcenter person is 30 $/hr and the one outsourced is 7$/hr.. It is simple math..I am a businessman and if I could get something done that cheaper I woul dhave been happier too. This outcourcing has increased so much profitability and reduced cost of goods we get…
Ha! Give me a break. Yes lets outsource all of our jobs to India including yours
Yes thank goodness for outsourcing our jobs here in America…I don’t know about you, but if I made 30 dollars an hour I would not need to rely on the IRS to give me a refund in a timely manner.
30/hr? What city do you live in again? I worked as a call center agent for over a year and I never made 30/hr…..wished it maybe..
I am in the same boat, we filed on Feb 8, and acepted on the 9th with a deposit date of the 15th, only on the 13th got a processing delay with a DD now of 03/01, have talked to IRS only to get 3 diff answers, first was asked if I filed with the same husband last year???? We have been married 12 years, with the same 3 kids, VERY WEIRD, so when I said yes, then was told that the IRS Is allowed up to 3 weeks to prcess, which has never happened to me EVER!! The next person told me it was in the errors dept and they corrected the error but she could not tell me what error was, and still could not tell me when I would have my money, and the 3rd person, which I talked to today was downright rude and told me they had no information until it has been 30 days out, and I would have to wait until the end of next week to call, but she had nothing in her system to indicate that I would be getting a refund this week or next week. Sure would like an answer!!! It seems like they tell everyone the same thing
I rcvd one letter dated 2/2/11 saying that my refund was being held for “further review” and that it would be 45 days, now I have recieved another letter dated 2/22/11 saying the exact same thing. So I call the IRS wondering does the 45 days start over with this second letter. The rep said no, but that I should add ANOTHER 30 DAYS to the date of the first letter..which in essence is the same thing as the 45 days starting over with the date of the new letter. I have one job, two kids, no home, no business…no deductions. I am confused about this and upset. What is going on!!??
I’m sorry to say from my experience a few years back that a return that is being held for “further review” is bad news…something is wrong with your return that’s not software related. A human is looking at it.
i efiled my taxes on feb,1 2011 the check my refund status said the check was mailed out on the 18 of feb i am still waiting and the the wheres my refund status said not to contact them until march 18,2011 how long is it going to take
Me and my husband filed on Feb 15 due to the homebuyers repayment and still have not received our tax refund.. I have called the IRS and they just give me excuses, was supposed to be mailed in not done electronically, should receive a paper in the mail about what is going on, need to call tax advocate.. I mean WTF we need the refund and can’t get it.. So now they are saying it could be another 30 days.. Some of the IRS representatives have an attitude when calling and if it were there return they would be doing the same thing..
My husband and I filed our taxes and received our refund within 10 days…also someone I work with had a similar positive expensive. I wonder if a batch of returns that were filed in February somehow got left by the wayside and are taking longer than returns that are newly submitted?
I efiled through Taxact January 11th or so, I got an email from Taxact stating it was accepted January 13th.. weird because IRS didn’t begin accepting until the 17th of January. I expected my refund on the 25th of January via direct deposit, no such luck. I have been stuck in the “January 31st projected date” on the IRS Where’s my Refund site for almost 2 weeks. I spoke to an IRS agent on Thursday who said it wasn’t completely processed and that she showed there was no refund scheduled… Yesterday I spoke to another IRS agent who says she had my return processed and that it should be in my account on Feb 1st… weirder is that the IRS website that has been showing Jan 31st as a projected date now shows that I must have entered my info incorrectly because they have no info for it! ummmm wtf? Anyway… all this to say that something is very very wrong going on at the good ol IRS… I wish I was in your positive experience group
These all sound so familiar…im sure there are alot of pissed off people waiting on their refund and i am one of them. We depend on our refund everyear and was supposed to get my refund today April 11th, not the irs website says due to delays, May 10th is my new date…wtf?? Bull**** i let the gov’t “BORROW” money i make during the year and i cant even f****** get it back when im supposed to …this is INSANE and i am heated
I’m still waiting to get answers as to where my refund could be… our accountant e-filed our taxes on April 13, 2011 and to date (June 20, 2011) still no sight of our return… Almost 8 weeks – really? I mean if I owed the IRS they would be all over me looking for what was owed them…
filed on the 1/20 refund cycle chart reflected 2/1 and the irs says 2/7. they take money out of my pay checks as fast as they can . i should expect the same in return
I think Anna makes a great point. If we owed the IRS they surely would not be patient with us taxpayers. They would hit us with fees and interest.
Same scenario and it’s just f*kn American of the IRS to not even provide an outlet for us to take any action.
We are the earlybirds that filed our taxes asap and given a date of Feb1, and since we went out of our way we get delayed. But people who filed a week after me are already getting theirs???
So, if I’m late for paying a loan I get reported to the collectors, get a bad mark on my credit score and get charged interest.
WTF IRS? Make your own laws I guess. FU
I was suppose to receive mine yesterday or today! I was somewhat depending on it for bills! Delay on tax refund…sounds really shady!
all i know is the IRS needs to get there s**t together and fast “its my money and i need it now!”
hello carly
i really need this money as well they really f**k up this time
hello every body ,
well i one of those in many affected by the IRS delays i think is so unfare they are doing this to us why ?. well anyways i bet they would not be happy to if the people working there were the one calling us beacause we have they check on hold lol .is there any thing we can do? any were we could call and complain and they would do something ?well guess not right .wait wait wait!:(
i filed with jackson hewitt on feb 5th and was told i would get my check at there office on feb 17th and now i am hearing they dont know, this is unfair to us, we are wiating on the bank to release our funds to jackson hewitt, now i am getting a date of feb 20th who knows i just want my money.
I file my taxes every year with Turbo Tax and never an issue. This year I filed on 2/1/2012 and had my returned accepted within hours BUT the irs states they still haven’t received my return. I would happy if Where’s my Refund said the 14th or 22nd or even 3/1/2012. But nothing. Looks like I’ll have one of the longest delays since the IRS doesn’t even have my paperwork to begin the process. Man I was really hoping the Refund Chart was still good.
Same here filed february 2 accepted within hours and still no status on my refung I also used Turbo Tax have you received any updates Teresa?
Cynthia, I also filed on feb 2 w/TT and nothing. Called the IRS this morning and was told that they received my return on feb 2 but that is hasn’t even been processed yet. I imagine this might be the case for you as well. I am hoping everything that I’ve been reading about the refunds being 1 week behind because the lady at the IRS scared me when she said that it could take 3-5 weeks from the time they receive it for us to get money back.
I filed with TT on 2/3 and accepted the same day by IRS with a refund date of 2/15, which mean it would probably be sent on 2/9 with a few days for the bank to process. However, since filing, WMF has only said they have no info. TT customer service says IRS has done nothing yet with my return.
We have they exact same dates as you and the exact same problem!
i also filed on 2/2 through h&r block program and i received acceptance letter and still no info on where’s my refund!
Praise God !!! I been looking to see if anyine was going through what I was. I filed my taxes since jan.30th 2012 and the irs says they have no information for me like I am honestly confussed .. Now what to do .. I went to the place I did my taxes and we called the irs in they told us there is nothing in the system for me but how is that if I a print out of how much to expect. omg
hi im in the same boat i filed on feb 3rd and it was accepted on feb 4th i called and everytime its a different story..if it rly takes 3 weeks why does it say 72 hours? i feel your pain..my bf did his a few dayafter me and already recieved his money
I just checked the site today (I filed on 2/2/2012) and now it is finally giving me a date…..OF MARCH 6TH!!….What in the world happened to the 10-21 day historical range and that is almost 3 weeks past when I should have received it and they said that returns were being pushed out a week late. Currently sitting on hold with the IRS again!
Sara-Same as you. Filed on 2/2 and saw today that my reutrn will be on 3/6/12. That’s 5 weeks for an e-file return!
I filed my return thru TT alkso on 2-2, it was rejected immediatly for invalid pin, we corrected it and sent it on the 3rd, it was accepted according to TT. It is now 2-17 and a week ago IRS told me it was processing still and last night I was told they havent recieved the second submission after it was rejected and still not on WMR at any point!I doesnt know what to beleive now, how can they not have it yet I was told previously it was processing! They actuially told me to resubmit my taxes whnich turbo tax wont let me do saying its already been done and accepted. frustrating
My wife and I e-filed with DD for our preferred method of receiving money on the 10th of January. IRS accepted it on the 19th of January. Initially, the WMR portion on the IRS website said the 1st of February for DD date. Right before the 1st hit, it changed to the 7th of February. The 7th has come and gone and no refund yet. I learned a week ago that the IRS had did some software updating for security reasons and that refunds filed before the 25th of January would be delayed slightly. How long, who knows?
I suspect our money will be in anytime now as it’s been almost 21 business days (next Friday will be 21 days) since we were accepted. However, were not as spooked about this as some of y’all are because we weren’t relying on our refund to get us out of a tight spot. It’s never a good idea to rely on a tax refund to get yourself out of a tight spot, IMHO.
I also wanted to comment on the grammar and spelling on here. I can’t help it. The English has been murdered on here by most of y’all. Before complaining so much about stuff, try learning how to use proper spelling and punctuation. Make complete sentences people. Trying to read through most of the gibberish on here makes my head hurt & I’m sure that’s true for the literate others.
One more thing, those who actually work like we do who actually pay taxes into the system, we have more of a right to complain about late refund DD date’s. Those who don’t work and pay into the system who collect refunds that we pay for and others who work pay for, y’all should just sit back & shut up. Lot’s of leecher’s in this country. To those who work and pay taxes, thank you and you have a right to complain.
Man STFU…First off if we pay taxes then the money is OURS when tax time arrives so counting on it can mean many things but if we need it for a “tight pinch” then so be it. Second why are you talking about grammar? Please stop reading and typing you fail at life and should never be allowed to post on a tax forum/question spot again..GTFO
SOME OF US DONT MAKE ALOT OF MONEY AND ARE RAISING KIDS AND TRYING TO MAKE ENDS MEET AND YES SOME OF US DO RELY ON OUR TAX RETURNS BECAUSE WE ARE NOT BORN WITH A SILVER SPOON IN OUR MOUTH!
Ken I am really pissed about my refund not being dd into my account after 20 plus days of waiting but your comment has lighten my mood. I am LOL over here. Thx
Matt, shut the hell up man! It is essentially “our” money! We pay taxes all year so at the end of the year we get a thing called a tax refund. Nobody gives a shit if you aren’t waiting on your return. What was the need to comment on this thread if you aren’t worried about your return. In my humble opinion, if you want to talk about grammar you should reconsider using the word “y’all” Who the hell says that anymore? Pot, meet kettle
What a loser
“Lot’s of leecher’s”
An apostrophe connotates ownership of something. Grammatically speaking, your sentence is incorrect, as it would be “lots of leechers.”
And the working class (middle and lower classes) pay more on taxes than the wealthy, contrary to what the conservative media states.
Some people do rely on their tax returns but it’s not your place to judge them.
Are you kidding???
Does anybody tell you how to spend your money??? You don’t need to tell anybody that they shouldn’t be complaining about receiving their refunds to “get out of a tight spot.” You don’t know ANYONE’S personal situation here. Does anyone tell you NOT to expect your PAYCHECK at the end of a work week??? It’s money that is RIGHTFULLY OWED TO US.
And as far as you telling people to use proper spelling and grammar, try SPELLING OUT the word Y’ALL into the words “YOU ALL” so that you don’t sound like a complete hypocrite.
Those of us that are complaining DO work and that is WHY we are complaining.
Get over yourself and get off your high horse.
I RECENTLY GOT MARRIED AND I CALLED THE IRS AND THEY SAID DUE TO ME BEING MARRIED THERE WILL BE 2-3WEEK DELAY!! THIS IS THE WORST YEAR EVER
The bottom line is this is MY MONEY that the government took from my paycheck all year and they are screwing around with it on some power trip. I think I should fine them 10% and threaten to put a lien on the IRS building if I am not payed in full immediately! (My date was Feb. 15 and guess what-it is now Feb.28 for some reason)
I e-filed on Feb 9th 2012. On the 14th, which was 120 hours later, the IRS was able to recognize and communicate that my taxes were accepted.
I felt relieved until I was issued three different refund dates:
- 13 days
- 17 days
- 42 days
I suspect the IRS is intentionally elusive (they’re hard to contact) and confusing and delaying because they lack money.
I think as a whole, the Federal gov, the states and the middle and working classes are going bankrupt. The unemployment rate is high but it’s under 10%, as usual. so by and large America is still generating tons of money through labor as usual. The big catch is that now more of the surplus money goes straight to the elite upper class; the “one percent”.
America is experiencing peasantry and is being ruled by a super elite financial class much like a royal class.
The elite class finds it more profitable to outsource and enjoy the fruits of the “Global economy” while the middle class knows America would be better off if its economy were based on tangible production and tangible infrastructure; “MADE IN USA” etc. So the “class war” we’ve all been hearing about. It’s true.
Look at England. They’re like America. They went from being a manufacturing powerhouse to being a service industry and just like us they’re experiencing rising poverty. Meanwhile, China’s economy is growing and their standard of living is rising.
Production is power.
The super elite know production is power and they don’t care which country produces.
Dear Bill the janitor, enjoy your global economy! Sincerely – The super elite financial class
It’s not just refunds that are being delayed. I filed my return a month ago and I owed taxes. They drafted the amount I owed out of my account but my taxes still have NOT been processed. I have called the IRS 3 times. I need a tax transcript so that I can get a mortgage and they couldn’t even give me an estimate as to when they would be processed.
I’ve been waiting for my money since Jan 19th…. If I owed the Feds money there would have been men in black walking up my drive by now!
So – I heard a rumor that certain states’ irs refunds were delayed up to 90 days…. EEK. Hope THAT’S not true! So – just curious – are any of you frustrated people who haven’t gotten your fed refunds also residents of red states like me….?