Has anyone actually gotten a return to change from "received" to "approved" after owing money? I'm curious if this status ever updates or if it just stays as "received" permanently for returns where you owed.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I've been stressing about my 2021 and 2022 returns showing "received" status for so long. It's reassuring to hear from multiple people that this is normal for returns where you owe money rather than getting refunds. The key takeaway seems to be: if you filed your returns, paid what you owed, and haven't received any notices from the IRS requesting additional information or claiming issues with your returns, then you're in good standing regardless of what the online portal shows. The IRS prioritizes processing refunds and updating those statuses, while returns where taxpayers owe money often sit in "received" limbo indefinitely. I think I'll stop obsessively checking my account status now and just focus on staying current with my tax obligations going forward. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!

I'm in almost the exact same boat! Filed my 2022 amended return in February 2024 and still nothing showing up in "Where's My Amended Return." Reading through these comments has been super helpful - sounds like 6-8 weeks before it even shows up in their system is normal. One thing I wanted to add based on what others have shared: if you're planning to file that 2020 amendment, definitely do it ASAP! Based on what @Olivia Evans shared about the IRS agent saying 2020 amendments are being prioritized due to the approaching deadline, it sounds like there might be some advantage to getting it in sooner rather than later. Also, thank you to everyone who shared info about the various services and tools. I've been hesitant to try calling the IRS directly because of the horror stories about wait times, but knowing there are options like Claimyr might give me some peace of mind if I don't see any movement in the next few weeks. The interest payment info from @Christopher Morgan is interesting too - at least there's some compensation for the ridiculous wait times, even if it doesn't make up for the stress of wondering if your paperwork disappeared into the void!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who went through this exact situation last year. Filed my 2021 amended return in March 2023 and didn't see ANY movement in the "Where's My Amended Return" tool until almost 10 weeks later. The silence from the IRS system is absolutely nerve-wracking, but it's unfortunately very normal right now. A few things that helped me get through the process: 1. Keep meticulous records - scan everything before you mail it, including the envelope with the postmark if you can 2. If you didn't send it certified mail (like I didn't), don't panic yet. Most returns do eventually make it through, it just takes forever to show up in their system 3. The 6-8 week timeframe mentioned by @Lauren Johnson is pretty accurate in my experience Regarding your 2020 amendment question - definitely get that filed ASAP! The deadline pressure is real, and from what others have shared, it sounds like the IRS is actually prioritizing those right now which could work in your favor. One last tip: when you do eventually see movement on your 2022 amendment, don't expect it to move quickly through the stages. Mine took another 12 weeks after it first appeared in the system to actually get processed. The whole thing was about 5.5 months from filing to refund, but the refund did include interest which was a nice surprise. Hang in there - I know the waiting is brutal when you're not even sure they received your paperwork!

PSA: If anyone else is dealing with this, direct deposit is the way to go next time... just sayin 💅

Also worth noting that if your check does get returned to the IRS due to forwarding issues, they'll typically reissue it as a paper check to your updated address once you file Form 8822. The whole process can add another 3-4 weeks though, so definitely update your address with them ASAP even if USPS forwarding is working for now.

This is absolutely infuriating and unfortunately way too common with Indiana this year. I'm a tax professional and we're seeing unprecedented delays - easily 3x longer than previous years. The most frustrating part is that the DOR reps genuinely don't have access to detailed information about why returns are held up, so they give these generic responses that help nobody. A few things that might help based on what I've seen work for clients: 1. If you moved addresses in the past year, that's almost certainly why you're delayed - it triggers automatic identity verification 2. Try calling right at 8:30 AM and ask to speak with a "refund specialist" rather than general customer service 3. Document every call - date, time, rep name if they give it, and what they told you. This helps when you escalate 4. The state rep route really does work - they have direct contacts who can actually see what's happening with your return The cash flow management theory mentioned by the former employee makes perfect sense. They're basically using our refunds as an interest-free loan while charging us penalties for late payments. It's completely backwards and honestly should be illegal. Don't give up - keep pushing and use multiple strategies. This is 100% a systemic failure on their part, not anything you did wrong.

I'm dealing with this exact same issue! Filed my Indiana return on February 9th, accepted immediately, and it's been 57 days of complete silence. What's really frustrating is that I work in finance myself, so I understand processing systems - and there's no legitimate reason for these delays on straightforward returns. After reading through all these experiences, I'm convinced this is systematic dysfunction rather than isolated issues. The fact that federal returns process in under two weeks while Indiana takes 2+ months for the same taxpayer data is inexcusable. The inconsistent explanations from reps (I've gotten three different stories in four calls) suggests they either don't have real system access or are trained to give non-answers. I'm going to try the state representative approach this week - seems like that's the only thing that consistently gets results based on everyone's feedback here. Also planning to use one of those callback services to bypass the hold music torture and actually speak to someone with authority. Thanks to everyone sharing their timelines and strategies. It's oddly comforting to know this isn't just me, though it's infuriating that so many of us are dealing with this incompetence. Will update if I make any progress!

Does anyone have experience with how the R&D credit works for pass-through entities like an LLC? My accountant mentioned something about our company needing to process it at the entity level first and then it flows to our personal returns, but I'm confused about the mechanics.

Just wanted to add a practical tip that might help - make sure to keep detailed project documentation throughout the year, not just at tax time. The IRS loves contemporaneous records for R&D credit audits. We learned this the hard way when we got selected for review. Having emails, technical specifications, and meeting notes that showed we were genuinely facing technical uncertainty and experimenting with solutions made all the difference. The IRS agent specifically mentioned that our real-time documentation was much more credible than trying to recreate everything after the fact. For your wife's software development company, I'd recommend keeping records of any technical challenges encountered, different approaches tried, and why certain solutions didn't work. Even failed experiments count as qualified research expenses if they were part of a systematic process to eliminate technical uncertainty. The combination of good documentation plus being able to take both the wage deduction AND the credit makes this one of the most valuable tax benefits for development companies. Just don't forget that the credit can carry forward for 20 years if you can't use it all in the current year!