I had a similar visa tax issue under Section 871(h) exemption for portfolio interest. Called for 3 weeks with no luck. Per IRM 21.8.1, international taxpayers should receive specialized assistance, but the reality is different. Finally reached someone who helped resolve my withholding problem and got my $1,200 refund processed correctly.

Warning about trying to reach the IRS: • Never share personal info with anyone claiming to be IRS on a call YOU didn't initiate • Real IRS agents won't threaten immediate arrest • They never demand specific payment methods like gift cards • Keep detailed notes of all calls including agent ID numbers • Record dates/times of all contact attempts for potential TAS case I've seen too many scams targeting people desperate to resolve tax issues.

I went through this exact same verification process last year. Called multiple times, no letter ever came, finally got someone who scheduled an appointment. My refund showed up exactly 12 days after verification. The frustrating part is that I was counting on that money for some car repairs and the delay put me in a tough spot financially. I wish the IRS would at least be consistent about whether appointments can be scheduled without the letter - would save everyone a lot of time and stress!

Back in 2022, I had a similar verification issue. I tracked my transcript daily after verification and noticed a pattern: TC 971 (notice issued) appeared first, followed by TC 570 (refund hold) being released about 7-10 days after verification. Then a TC 846 (refund issued) showed up 3-4 days later. If you have access to your transcript, watching for these codes can give you a more accurate timeline than what the Where's My Refund tool shows. In my experience, the deposit arrived 2 days after the TC 846 date.

Have you verified the account and routing numbers on your actual tax return? I had a DDD of February 12th, 2024 and realized on February 15th that I had transposed two digits in my account number. The bank rejected the deposit on February 16th, and the IRS automatically converted it to a paper check that arrived on March 4th. You might want to prepare for a much longer wait if there was any error in your banking details.

I just went through this and got it resolved! My refund was scheduled for March 14th but didn't show up. I called my bank first to see if they were holding it - they weren't. Then I pulled my transcript again and confirmed the last 4 digits of the account matched mine. Finally called IRS on March 21st, and they found that my refund had been returned due to a name mismatch (my tax return name didn't exactly match my bank account name). They reissued it that day and I got it March 25th. Stay persistent!

I completely understand your frustration. Per Internal Revenue Manual 25.23.2, the IRS is required to verify taxpayer identity when certain risk factors are present, even if you have an IP PIN. Under the Taxpayer First Act Section 2001, they've actually increased verification requirements. As a military spouse who's gone through three PCS moves in five years, I've had to verify twice despite having an IP PIN each time. The verification is annoying but legitimate - and unfortunately common for military families due to our frequent relocations.

Happened to me last yr too. IP PIN is basically useless imho. IRS systems don't talk to each other. Left hand doesn't know what right hand is doing. Got my fed refund then got letter saying verify identity. Makes zero sense. Called 6x, got hung up on 5x. When I finally got thru, agent said it happens all the time w/ military families who move a lot. System flags address changes as suspicious even w/ IP PIN. Totally broken system.

Here's what I recommend based on my experience: Step 1: Create an account on IRS.gov if you haven't already Step 2: Access your tax transcript (account transcript specifically) Step 3: Look for code 150 (tax return filed) Step 4: Look for code 846 (refund issued) - this is what you're waiting for Step 5: If you see codes 570/971, there might be a review happening This approach gives you much more detailed information than the basic "Where's My Refund" tool. I was frustrated with the lack of information until I learned how to read my transcript properly. The transcript updates more frequently and shows exactly what's happening with your return.

Fwiw, my state (CA) and fed refunds were completely diff timelines. Got state super fast (like 8 days) but fed took forever (37 days total). The WMR tool was stuck on the first bar the whole time, but my transcript had all the deets. Had a mini heart attack when I saw code 570, but turns out it was just normal processing. Nothing to do w/ state refund timing tho - totally separate systems.