“Where’s My Refund?” Why Delays Happen — and What You Can Actually Do About It
If you’re here, chances are you’re refreshing the IRS “Where’s My Refund” page for the tenth time today and wondering where on Earth your money is. You’re not alone — we’re seeing a lot of refund delays this year and even more questions about what’s going on.
Let’s walk through what’s happening behind the scenes, what you can do, and when it might be time to ask for help.
Why Tax Refunds Are Delayed in 2025
The short version? The IRS is still playing catch-up. Ongoing staffing shortages, remote work challenges, and mail backlogs that started during COVID-19 haven’t gone away — and that means processing times are longer than usual.
A few specific situations are especially likely to slow your refund down:
Multiple rounds of budget cuts since the pandemic — most recently under the 2025 tax law environment — have significantly diminished IRS staffing, leaving fewer hands available to process complex or exception-laden returns.
Implementing the sweeping changes of the One Big Beautiful Bill (H.R. 1, signed July 4, 2025) demands intensive resources: rewriting forms, overhauling computer systems, retraining staff, and issuing guidance to tax professionals.
Earlier in 2025, many senior IRS employees opted for voluntary retirement or separation. The resulting loss of institutional knowledge — especially among experienced staff — makes handling unusual cases or ambiguous filings more difficult.
Technology modernizations have lagged. The IRS is still reliant on legacy systems and many processes still require a “human in the loop.” But when staffing is cut, that human touch becomes harder to maintain.
If you mailed your return instead of filing electronically, it can take at least six months before it even shows up in the system.
What You Can Do While You Wait
First things first: check the Where’s My Refund tool on the IRS website. It updates once per day (usually overnight).
If the status shows that your return has been received and is processing — but nothing seems to be moving — and you urgently need those funds, here are a few next steps:
Contact your federal representative. Every member of Congress has a liaison with the IRS who can sometimes help push things along. You can find your representative here, then look for the section on their website about “Help with a Federal Agency."
Complete the privacy release form. This gives their office permission to speak to the IRS on your behalf. You can usually submit it online or download and mail it if needed.
This isn’t an instant fix — it can still take months — but it often gets you further than sitting on hold with the IRS for hours (or getting disconnected altogether).
How to Avoid Future Delays
While there’s no button to speed up the IRS, a few best practices can reduce your chances of long waits next year:
File your return electronically instead of mailing it.
Pay electronically when possible.
Double-check any credits or new, temporary deductions for accuracy.
When You Need a Little Extra Help
We wish we could wave a magic wand and make the IRS move faster, but like everyone else, even your accountant is at the mercy of their timelines. What we can do is help you understand what’s causing the delay — and you’re not on your own while you wait.
Included with the tax preparation fees of a timely filed return is the assistance of our trusted partner, Protection Plus, at no additional cost to you. If your refund has been held up for six months or more, they can step in to help track it down and get answers about its status.
If you’re stuck or unsure about your next move, reach out to the Personal Financial Services team. Though we’re based in Indiana, we serve clients across the U.S., and we’ll do everything we can to help you navigate the process and get your refund as quickly as possible.