What is the hold up on my federal refund?

[AmyC]

You can check the IRS website  to check the status of your return.  You  must enter the primary SSN, filing status, and the gross amount of the refund. You may also call IRS @ 1-800-829-1040. The gross amount is what is on your actual tax form, not what you may receive after fees, etc.

The IRS is hard to contact, see this.  Each return must be cross checked for the normal and now with the new laws:

• stimulus- is it correct, pay missing amounts, do they need to be added for the new stimulus
• unemployment - is it on there, was it filed with the $10,200 subtraction, does it need to be adjusted
• premium tax credit - is it on there, is there an amount due, adjust the return
• EIC - is it on, were they banned, is there a record of release to claim?
• Child credit -anybody else claim, how old are kids, what is allowed
• Typos, offsets, and so on for still more, it is a long process this year to check each return for so many things.
• If there is a problem, you will get a letter explaining the issue.

The IRS is also processing returns mailed in last year and handling the current stimulus. They have scheduled this summer to adjust unemployment on returns.

The more items on your return, the more complicated the processing. Some people are getting their refund in two parts.

[lkkoch01]

I am having the same issue. Mine was accepted over two months ago and I have yet to receive my refund. I have been calling the IRS number and am met with an automated response that eventually hangs up on me because they don’t have anyone to talk to. It is very frustrating. 

[HelenC12]

Per IRS, they have around 12 million tax returns that have been caught in a processing backlog created by the pandemic, which shut down the IRS for a time. Americans should see their refunds in the coming months. "We would hope to be through this backlog by the summer," said IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig.

• The IRS also has millions of returns that have to be manually verified which is also causing a delay.
•  Keep checking the IRS Where's My Refund page to see if your refund status has been updated.

Other reasons some returns take longer to process are the following: 

• Perhaps you had a refund offset.
• Includes errors
• Is incomplete
• Is affected by identity theft or fraud
• Includes a claim filed for an Earned Income Tax Credit or an Additional Child Tax Credit. See Q&A below.
• Includes a Form 8379, which could take up to 14 weeks to process
• Needs further review in general
• The IRS will contact you by mail when we need more information to process your return.