03/01/2022
Refund Status – Return Processing Has Been Delayed Beyond The Normal Timeframe (Tax Topic 152) Message on WMR and IRS2Go
Many tax filers are seeing this message on the IRS Where is My Refund (WMR) page or IRS2Go app...
We apologize return processing has been delayed beyond the normal timeframe
Delayed Tax Return and Refund processing
This message is essentially the default IRS message that pops when your return is likely to take more than the standard 21 day IRS refund schedule. Unfortunately for many tax filers it will mean a delay to their refund payment.
The Tax Topic 152 reference is a general or informational message around your refund processing timeline and potential causes of delays.
It is basically the IRS telling you to stay patient and hold on until they finish processing. It also lists several reasons why your return may be delayed, in order to set future expectations.
There is nothing you can do or worth getting worried about (at this stage) and often this message results in your status bars disappearing or your tax transcript showing “N/A” for filing activities in the current tax season.
Once your tax return does progress (anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks) it will either go for further manual reviews, a more comprehensive IRS examination, or you will be notified that the refund was adjusted (570) or offset (898), before the final refund amount is paid ( 846).
Note that in some cases this message may also be the result of pending identity verification checks (e.g. via ID.me) that that IRS is waiting for the filer to complete or respond to. So ensure you check your mail for any official IRS letters or your IRS account.
2022 Tax Season IRS refund delays
Per the IRS operations page for the current tax season, which is facing extended delays, the IRS is saying it can take 90 to 120 days for the IRS to deal with tax returns that require special (manual) handling.
This includes millions of current and prior year tax returns which need to be corrected for incorrectly claimed refundable credit amounts related to the EITC, RRC or CTC.
The IRS will try and fix these internally before contacting the tax filer, which is why you may be seeing the return processing has been delayed beyond the normal timeframe message on WMR or IRS2Go.
If they cannot fix it they will contact you by mail and update your processing status and tax transaction codes accordingly.
