Issues after 9 week of identity verification in 2025, worried about this year
When filing our 2024 taxes last year which I self-prepared, my husband and I received identity verification letters that we promptly submitted for. After the nine week wait, I called to get an update on the status and was told that my employer issued W-2 was incorrect, so I had to request a corrected version. I believe I then needed to submit a revised return and wait around 12 weeks for a refund. We were expecting to receive a refund of over $4000 and they got axed to $400. I filed in February and I think we got our refund in August or September.
After last year’s shit, my husband and I went to H&R Block to do our return, and received another identify verification note. We submitted our documentation promptly and I was told to follow up after nine weeks. It seems like most people end up receiving their returns before the nine week cutoff when there aren’t issues. I’m worried that since we’re at week 7, we’re going to encounter more problems.
Based on my reading, it seems like a lot of people are issued identity verification letters if something in their return is wrong, if they switch how their return is prepared, or if there’s a life change. I have a different job on this year‘s return then I did on last year, and I also started a small business. I’m wondering if that is why we are receiving these letters again.
We are expecting a return of over six grand, and I’m really worried that this is going to drag out for many months and we’re gonna get cents on the dollar compared to the initial estimate.
Does anyone have insight here? I’m looking for anyone who might’ve gone through something similar, or peace of mind - but I know full well that peace of mind and the IRS are mutually exclusive.
TL;DR - tax issue in 2025 caused six months delay of return and we received only 10% of what we expected. Similar identity verification required this year, worried that no update so far indicates we’re about to relive last year’s nightmare.
Now for the rant - i’m not in the business of blaming anyone, or different generations of people for the state of the economy, as many people my age seem to be doing. However, my husband and I got married in 2022 right when the economy started going to shit in our area and I feel like we can’t catch a break. I pay thousands of dollars a year out-of-pocket for treatment for my treatment resistant medication, spent two years in a brutal job search, can’t afford to replace broken appliances and furniture around the apartment, and feel like we’re never going to be able to get caught up to where we should be to prepare for financial security and retirement. My husband’s last employer failed to deliver on promised bonuses and would always send paychecks late. They tried to “forget” paying my husband’s last paycheck. My husband just started a new job, hoping it would be awesome, but it appears so far that it’s just another job where he’s taken advantage of and worked to the bone without appropriate pay. Guys… I’m just tired. That’s all.
Sincerely,
Broke, married 27 y/o who wants to afford a home and children but will probably have neither at this rate