I filed by 2017 taxes just before the deadline (April 2021). Yes right in the middle of the pandemic! After waiting for any information for at least the last year or so I finally got a letter (January 3rd, 2023) concerning my refund for 2017, to sum up the letter, it states that for, Tax periods: Dec. 31, 2017 "Your account shows an overpayment of $4.514.00, you will receive a refund in four to eight weeks unless you owe other taxes or legal debts we are required to collect". I'm not sure if I should call the IRS to inform about that refund, according to my calculations it has been 7 weeks and 2 days since I received that letter, I am unsure if they count weekends/holidays? I am just unsure of what my next step should be? Call the IRS? Wait a few more weeks? Any help on this matter would be appreciated!
And to my best knowledge, I don't owe any "legal debts we are required to collect".
You need to reach out to the IRS. The staffing shortages created an agency that does not operate efficiently. Now the problem originated in part because of the pandemic then due to lack of IRS agents, the IRS was ill equipped to review and process returns. This was why the 87k agents were needed, to properly staff the agency currently and in the future as agents would be lost soon to retirement. This deficit in staffing has delayed processing in extreme forms. My own father mailed his return with is check in 2020. They promptly cashed the check and he thought that was it. In 2021, he was informed that they did not receive his return and if he didn't send it in by a certain date they would just keep the money and he would still have to send in his return with proper payment!! Insanity. You may receive the additional money when you process your return for 2022, but still reach out for the past years.