Yes, the IRS can hold your refund longer than 180 days, as there's no strict maximum time limit; delays occur due to errors, identity theft checks, unclaimed credits (like EITC/ACTC), unfiled prior returns, or discrepancies, with longer reviews potentially lasting 180 days or more, but they must pay interest after 45 days, and after six months you can file a lawsuit to recover it, notes Jackson Hewitt, TurboTax, Taxpayer Advocate Service, and IRS.gov.
The IRS generally issues refunds within 21 days of e-filing, but paper-filed returns can take 6 to 8 weeks.
You can check the status of your tax refund using Track My Refund. If your refund details state that it's still processing, you can check your tax return to see if you catch any errors. If your refund status instructs you to contact the IRS, you can speak to an agent to get clarification by calling 1-800-829-1040.
Most federal tax refunds are issued within 21 days, but some may take longer if the return requires additional review.
Usually, it takes 4-5 weeks for the refund to be credited to the account of the taxpayer. However, if refund is not received during this duration, the taxpayer must check for intimation regarding discrepancies in ITR; check email for any notification from the IT department regarding the refund.
What are the top reasons for refund delays this year? The main 2025 tax refund delay reasons include errors or incomplete information on returns, claims for the Earned Income Tax Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit, identity verification processes, amended returns, and offsets for outstanding debts.
Things that can delay a refund:
The return has errors, is incomplete or is affected by identity theft or fraud. The return needs a correction to the child tax credit or recovery rebate credit amount.
What should I do? Request an expedited refund by calling the IRS at 800-829-1040 (TTY/TDD 800-829-4059). Request a manual refund expedited to you.
IRS Code 810 Explanation
The 810 refund freeze is usually temporary, but you may feel discouraged or impatient at the notification of this freeze. Additionally, the IRS usually does not provide a reason why it has frozen your refund. This is an automatic precaution triggered by something unusual in your return.
If you never received your tax refund
To replace a lost or stolen tax refund check, you can request a refund trace in the IRS Where's My Refund tool.
How to resolve a refund freeze:
You must offer a refund to customers if they've told you within 14 days of receiving their item that they want to cancel. They have another 14 days to return the item once they've told you. You must refund the customer within 14 days of receiving the item back.
What should I do?
E-filed return: 3 weeks after you filed it. Paper return: 6 weeks after you mailed it. Form 8379, Injured Spouse Allocation: 12 weeks for e-filed and 14 weeks for paper return filing.
You're under audit from a previous year:
Audits can also cause an IRS processing delay. This is most common when the IRS conducts a mail audit on your EITC or ACTC claimed on a return from a prior year. Normally, you'll receive IRS Letter CP88 indicating your refund is frozen until the IRS completes the audit.
Refund delays in AY 2025–26 are largely due to enhanced compliance checks and data matching, not system failure. Taxpayers should regularly review their AIS and Form 26AS, respond to department alerts and correct discrepancies promptly. In most cases, refunds will be issued once checks are complete.
If you file a complete and accurate paper tax return, your refund should be issued in about six to eight weeks from the date IRS receives your return. If you file your return electronically, your refund should be issued in less than three weeks, even faster when you choose direct deposit.