The IRS received your tax return and is verifying your income, income tax withholding, tax credits, or business income based on the information reported to the IRS under your name and Taxpayer Identification Number (Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) by employers, banks, or other payers. After the IRS finishes its review, you may be required to verify your income, tax credits, income tax withholding or business expenses you claimed before your refund will be released or applied as an overpayment to next year’s estimated tax. 

You filed your tax return and the IRS received it. The IRS is holding your refund while it is verifying the accuracy of your return, including one or more of the following you may have reported: credits, income (e.g., wages) and withholding that were reported on your return. 

The first thing to do is to check the return address to be sure it’s from the IRS and not another agency. 

Call the IRS immediately as you may be a victim of tax-related identity theft. Someone else may have used your personal information to file this return. Download and complete the Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit PDF on paper for faster service. Once you have filled out the form, sign it and mail it to the address on the top of your notice.

No action is required at this time. The review process could take up to 60 days, as the IRS could be reviewing various items shown on your tax return,issues such as wages and withholding, or credits or expenses.

If, after 60 days from the date of this notice, you have not received your refund or heard from the IRS, contact the IRS at the toll-free number listed at the top right corner of your notice. 

If the entries reported on your return cannot be verified, you may be asked to submit documents verifying your wages and withholding, tax credits and/or business income and expenses that were reported. 

Once the IRS finishes its review, it may send your refund, ask for additional information, or deny all or part of your refund. If you don’t agree with the denial, you’ll have an opportunity to appeal. 

If you made an error on your return or need to change the information reported, you should file a Form 1040-X, Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, as soon as possible to limit any potential penalties and interest. 

Once you have successfully verified the entries on your tax return, it may take up to sixteen weeks for you to receive your refund or apply the overpayment to next year’s estimated tax. However, if there are other issues, you may receive a notice asking for more information, and this may delay your refund. 

Review all of your income and withholding documents for completeness and review your return to make sure you are eligible to claim all income, credits and business income you reported.