Based on discussions on Reddit (specifically r/IRS and r/tax), the IRS can hold a tax refund for review for 60 to 120 days as a standard procedure, but in practice, these reviews often stretch to 6 months, 9 months, or even longer.
The tax code allows the IRS through its Statue Of Limitations up to 3 years to audit your return and possibly longer under some circumstances. It has 10 years to collect any tax you might owe.
The normal turnaround time for the IRS to accept your return is 24-48 hours. However, due to the number of stockpiled returns, it may take a little bit longer as their system is overwhelmed with early filers. This also applies to why there may not be a status showing on the IRS Where's My Refund site.
The agent just reviews the account and compares the codes and information to their current available procedures. The 180 days is to receive information OR your refund. So a letter extending the timeframe and/or requesting more information is included. Yes, it can and often will take 180 days, often way longer.
Processing your refund usually takes: Up to 21 days for an e-filed return. 6 weeks or more for returns sent by mail.
The IRS uses a combination of automated and human processes to select which tax returns to audit. Not reporting all of your income is an easy-to-avoid red flag that can lead to an audit. Taking excessive business tax deductions and mixing business and personal expenses can lead to an audit.
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.
Common IRS audit triggers
The IRS doesn't have a strict maximum time limit for issuing refunds, but generally processes e-filed returns with direct deposit within 21 days, while paper returns take 6 weeks or more, with longer waits for those claiming certain credits (EITC/ACTC) or if errors occur. If the IRS holds your refund for more than 45 days past the tax deadline (or filing date if late), they owe you interest, but significant delays (months) can happen for complex issues or extra reviews, sometimes requiring a mailed notice.
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. Paper returns and bank processing times can also contribute to delays.
Generally, if you fully paid the tax and the IRS denies your tax refund claim, or if the IRS takes no action on the claim within six months, then you may file a refund suit. You can file a suit in a United States District Court or the United States Court of Federal Claims.
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.
Tax returns and refunds
Some tax returns need extra review for accuracy, completeness, and to protect taxpayers from fraud and identity theft. Returns that fall into this category can take longer to process. Disaster-related returns may take longer to process than tax returns not claiming disaster relief.
There is no timeframe for how long the IRS can take to process a tax return before issuing a tax refund.
If you're facing serious financial difficulties and need your refund immediately contact the Taxpayer Advocate Service at 877-777-4778. We may be able to expedite your refund.
If your tax return is under review, the IRS is examining it to ensure that it is accurate and in accordance with tax laws. They're checking to confirm that all the information you provided is correct and that there are no mistakes or missing details that could affect your tax bill or refund.
Remember, you will be contacted initially by mail. The IRS will provide all contact information and instructions in the letter you receive. If we conduct your audit by mail, our letter will request additional information about certain items shown on the tax return such as income, expenses, and itemized deductions.
The IRS has no maximum time limit when it comes to processing tax refunds, but after 45 days, it is required to pay interest on your refund. In most cases, you can expect the IRS to issue your tax refund within 21 days of filing your tax return.
Why is my return being reviewed? (updated Aug. 7, 2024) While we accept most tax returns as filed, we select some for review. The IRS reviews some federal tax returns to determine if income, expenses, and credits are reported accurately.
District offices select returns randomly sometimes for special research programs, but generally the returns are selected because they have good audit potential. The potential is discovered by a computerized system called the Discriminant Function System (DIF). In most cases, the decisionmaker is not the auditor.
The stages of an IRS refund are: (1) Return Received, where the IRS acknowledges receipt of your return; (2) Return Reviewed, where the return is checked for accuracy; and (3) Refund Approved/Sent, where the refund amount is finalized and issued.
Employees will review and either manually release the refund or confirm the error. If an error is confirmed, a notice will be sent to the taxpayer either requesting additional information or informing the taxpayer the error has been corrected through the IRS's math error authority.