Have you tried calling the specific refund hotline at 1-800-829-1954? It's different from the main IRS number and sometimes has shorter wait times. Also, what filing status did you use? Are you claiming any credits like the Earned Income Credit or Child Tax Credit? Those can affect processing times significantly.

Instead of calling, have you considered setting up an in-person appointment at your local Taxpayer Assistance Center? You can schedule it by calling 1-844-545-5640. They're usually less busy than the main phone lines, and once you get an appointment, you can speak to someone face-to-face who can look up your return status. I've found this approach much more effective than spending hours on hold.

Called NetSpend yesterday. Refund was on hold. Had to verify identity. Released funds immediately after. Same DDD as you. Got money this morning. Don't wait. Call them now. Ask specifically about holds.

I've used NetSpend for three years now, and this happens every tax season. Last year my refund came 4 days after the DDD, the year before it was 3 days late. This year with a 3/19 DDD, it arrived on 3/22. It's consistently slower than when I used Chase Bank, which would always deposit on the actual DDD or sometimes even a day early. The convenience of NetSpend for other features outweighs this annual delay for me, but it's definitely more frustrating compared to traditional banks that process tax refunds much more efficiently.

Credit Human did this to me last year too. My DDD was on a Monday and I didn't see the money until Thursday afternoon. Called them multiple times and kept getting the "it takes 3-5 business days to process" line. This year I switched to a different bank and my refund posted the same day as my DDD. Some smaller financial institutions just don't have the systems to process these deposits as quickly as the big banks do. If this is a recurring issue for you, might be worth considering a different bank for next year's refund.

Have you checked if Credit Human has any specific policies about tax refunds? Some banks place longer holds on government checks, especially for larger amounts. Did you receive any notifications from them about a hold? Also, is this a new account with them or have you received refunds there before without issues?

I had exactly the same issue 32 days ago! Someone had the same last 4 of my SSN and their income was showing on my transcript. I called the IRS exactly 7 times before getting through. The agent confirmed it was a reporting error where an employer had transposed 2 digits in someone else's SSN. They filed a correction form and my transcript updated exactly 14 days later. My refund was processed 3 days after that. The 971 code was just generating a letter explaining the situation - nothing to worry about!

This happened to me last year. It was identity theft. Don't wait. Call the IRS immediately. My refund was delayed for 4 months while they sorted it out. The 971 code means they're sending you a letter - in my case it was asking me to verify my identity. You should also check your credit reports right now and freeze your credit. The IRS will likely tell you to file Form 14039.

Why would a tax preparation service route your refund through a third-party bank without clear disclosure? It's simple: fee harvesting and float income. These services create a complex web of financial relationships that benefit from delayed processing. Have you examined Form 8888 on your return? If you didn't specifically authorize a split refund but your tax preparer added one, that's a reportable violation. The most effective resolution path is to demand written confirmation of the exact routing of your funds from both the tax preparation service and their banking partner - most will resolve it quickly rather than provide this documentation.

OMG this happened to me too! Called the tax place yesterday and got the real story. Apparently they use SBTPG (Santa Barbara Tax Products Group) to process ALL refunds where you paid fees from your refund. Your $ goes IRS → SBTPG → your bank. But there's a huge backlog rn and they're taking 5-7 biz days to process instead of the normal 24hrs. Check your tax software account online - there should be a refund status page that shows if it's still at SBTPG. Mine finally hit my acct this AM after being stuck for 6 days!