There's absolutely no reason to necessarily think that you're under review or that an
audit is pending, so please don't worry. The "processing" message you see is perfectly normal. In fact, the messages and bars on the IRS.gov's "Where's My Refund"
webpage change all of the
time; and sometimes the same message is displayed continuously. If it still says "processing" that's actually a good thing. If your tax return ever is chosen for further review, or an actual audit, then the website should indicate that, and also let you know to expect an IRS notice or letter by mail. (You haven't observed a message like that, have you?)
Taxpayers
who do have their returns held for review, and who expect to receive an
IRS notice, tell us that this message appears clearly on the Where's My Refund
website. The behavior that you observe is more
likely an indicator that your tax return is simply moving through the
processing system. It could also be that the IRS is checking for
additional information on something related to your tax return (like matching your reported W-2 data with that separately reported to the IRS by your employer); but we
wouldn't call that a review . . . perhaps only a small delay.
If
enough time passes after filing (21 days after e-file, or 6 weeks after
paper file), and there is no new information, at that time the IRS
indicates that you can call them for additional information, using the
phone number provided on their Where's My Refund website.
For
now, the best course of action is patience. The IRS doesn't always
move as fast as taxpayers would like (especially when waiting for a
refund).
Thank you for asking this question.
