I filed my tax return by paper about 8 weeks ago, and I still have not obtained my refund. No information on the Where's My Refund website. Should I be worried?

[Skye184]

I sent in my tax refund using certified mail which says that it has been delivered since around March 26. However, I am getting nothing from IRS when I look it up on the IRS website - not even "processing", just "no information". I don't mind waiting, but I'm worried that my tax refund got lost in the process. Should I send in a new copy of the tax refund to the IRS? Or should I just keep waiting.

[ee-ea]

All you can do now is, wait. At least you know that the IRS has your filing. It does not matter who sent your 1040 to the IRS. The IRS is the sole destination for tax returns. No one has discovered a way to make the IRS speed up sending out refunds. No one ever will because the IRS is an overwhelmed, over worked, under funded and under staffed government bureaucracy. Eventually you will get the pay off of your no interest loan to the government.

Have you thought of paying just enough by estimates or withholding to avoid a penalty and let the government wait for your check?

[Skye184]

---

@ee-ea wrote:

All you can do now is, wait. At least you know that the IRS has your filing. It does not matter who sent your 1040 to the IRS.

---

But if the IRS does have my filing, shouldn't it show "tax return processing" or "tax return received" on the IRS website, instead of "no information"? I have read on some other websites that "no information" may mean that the return was not received properly by the IRS. Should I be worried? At what point should I consider sending a second copy of the tax return? 3 months? 6 months?

[ee-ea]

You mailed certified and have the receipt.  The return is in the pile.  No need to worry.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tax-refund-delay-irs-millions-returns/

[Skye184]

An update on my tax return situation: finally around 20 August (about 5 months after I filed my return by paper) I was able to see my information on the IRS website, and I received my refund in my bank account by 30 August as expected. So it turns out that it does help to just wait patiently. Thanks to all those who reassured me that everything was fine.