Held or Stopped Refunds (2024)

FAQs

Why is my refund being held? ›

There are many reasons why the IRS may be holding your refund. You have unfiled or missing tax returns for prior tax years. The check was held or returned due to a problem with the name or address. You elected to apply the refund toward your estimated tax liability for next year.

Request an expedited refund by calling the IRS at 800-829-1040 (TTY/TDD 800-829-4059). Request a manual refund expedited to you.

An incomplete return, an inaccurate return, an amended return, tax fraud, claiming tax credits, owing certain debts for which the government can take part or all of your refund, and sending your refund to the wrong bank due to an incorrect routing number are all reasons that a tax refund can be delayed.

Notice Overview

The CP05 notice is mailed to taxpayers to notify them that the IRS is holding their refund until the accuracy of the tax credits, income tax withholding or business expenses has been verified. This notice, or letter may include additional topics that have not yet been covered here.

The most common reason for the IRS to review a tax return is something called the Discriminant Function System (or DIF) score. The IRS uses a computerized scoring model that evaluates your return and gives it a score based on the likelihood that it will need to be changed.

All or part of your refund may be offset to pay off past-due federal tax, state income tax, state unemployment compensation debts, child support, spousal support, or other federal nontax debts, such as student loans.

Use Where's My Refund, call us at 800-829-1954 and use the automated system, or speak with an agent by calling 800-829-1040 (see telephone assistance for hours of operation).

You can get fast answers about your refund by using the Where's My Refund? tool available on IRS.gov and through the IRS2Go mobile app. All you need is your Social Security number, tax filing status and the exact amount of your refund.

The rates apply to both overpayments and underpayments, meaning if you owe taxes or if the IRS owes you a refund. Generally, the interest rates fluctuate from 3% - 8%.

How long can IRS legally hold refund? There is no statutory limit. However, after 45 days from the filing deadline they must pay interest on the refund, and after six months you can sue them in the Court of Claims.

Should I be worried if my refund is still being processed? ›

If you're still waiting on your tax refund, it's possible that your tax return is taking longer for the IRS to process because it requires additional review. There are several reasons why your tax return may be delayed: Errors such as an incomplete filing status. Missing information.

How long a refund is delayed depends on the issue with the return. The IRS often can correct math errors without involving taxpayers, so those refunds might be delayed just a few weeks. If there are concerns about possible identity theft, taxpayers could wait more than a year, according to the IRS.

If you haven't received your refund or heard from us after 60 days, you can call us at the number listed above. Someone may have attempted to use your personal information to obtain a tax refund. 14039 instructions, along with a copy of this notice. Notify your financial institutions.

IRS Reference Number 1242 is a code the IRS uses to notify you that your return has been selected for review.

The IRS does not check every tax return; in fact, it does not check the majority of them; however, the IRS implements methods that track certain factors that would result in a further examination or audit by them.

The IRS issues more than 9 out of 10 refunds in less than 21 days. However, it's possible your tax return may require additional review and take longer.

The IRS generally issues refunds within 21 days of when you electronically filed your tax return, and longer for paper returns. Find out why your refund may be delayed or may not be the amount you expected.

The effective hold time (the average amount of time on hold, including dropped calls) is 108 minutes. The IRS hold music is probably one of the most-heard pieces of music with over 100 million calls a year and long holds.