The IRS is holding my refund. What are the common reasons?

Reasons IRS.gov lists for a delayed refund

The IRS Refunds page lists these reasons:

Common mistakes, such as forgetting to sign your return or making a math error.

An Earned Income Credit claim. By law, refunds on returns that include this credit are held until mid-February to prevent fraud.

An Additional Child Tax Credit claim. IRS.gov says this credit can be complicated and requires more time to review.

An amended return. IRS.gov says the IRS must compare and review both returns.

An injured spouse relief request. IRS.gov says the IRS must manually process your case.

How to check status

IRS.gov says refund status is available 24 hours after you e-file a current year return, 3 days after you e-file a prior-year return, or 4 weeks after you file a paper return. You can check with Where's My Refund on IRS.gov, in your IRS online account, or with the IRS app. Without signing in, you'll need your exact refund amount, your SSN or ITIN, your filing status and the tax year.

Fictional example timeline

This is a made-up example, not a real case and not a promise of timing. Day 1: Alex e-files a return that claims the Earned Income Credit. Day 2: Where's My Refund shows the return was received. A few weeks later: Alex gets a CP75 asking for documents about the credit, and sends them the way the notice explains. Alex keeps the notice and checks Where's My Refund. The real timing on any return depends on the IRS and on the notice.