“Action Required – We Received Your Tax Return and Are Reviewing It”

Seeing the “Action Required – We received your tax return and are reviewing it” message on Where’s My Refund? can feel alarming. The wording sounds serious — but in most cases, this status means the IRS has simply pulled your return for additional review and is deciding whether anything further is needed before releasing your refund.

This guide explains exactly what this message means, what type of review is happening, how long it can last, what you should (and should not) do, and when it makes sense to call the IRS or seek help.

This “Action Required – We received your tax return and are reviewing it” screen means the IRS has your return, has pulled it for additional review, and may or may not ask you for more information before releasing your full refund.

What this exact message is saying

• “Action Required” banner: This is a caution flag that your return is in a special review queue, not the standard 3‑step bar only. It does not automatically mean you did anything wrong, just that your return needs extra verification.
• “We received your tax return and are reviewing it”: Your e‑file was accepted; the IRS is now checking it for accuracy, eligibility for credits, identity issues, prior‑year problems, or other red flags. It is past basic intake and in a review status.
• “You may need to provide additional information to receive your full refund”: The IRS is warning that your refund could be reduced or delayed unless you respond if they later request documents (proof of income, dependents, credits, etc.).
• “If we need additional information, we’ll mail a notice with further instructions”: You don’t call or send anything now; you wait for an official letter (for example, CP05, CP75, 5071C, 6331C) telling you exactly what they need and where to send it.
• “If you’ve already received a notice, please follow the instructions”: If a letter has already arrived, this status is simply reinforcing that your next move is to respond to that notice, not to rely only on the website.
• “If we determine no additional information is needed, we’ll continue to process your refund”: Some reviews are internal only; if everything checks out, your return moves forward to “Refund Approved” without you doing anything.

What kind of review this usually is

• Routine accuracy and eligibility checks: The IRS compares what you filed with W‑2s, 1099s, employer data, and prior‑year returns, and verifies credits like EITC, ACTC, Child Tax Credit, and education credits.
• Identity‑theft or fraud screens: Filters may flag unusual refunds, new direct‑deposit accounts, big changes from last year, or known data‑breach patterns; that can lead to an ID‑verify letter.​
• Prior‑year or account issues: Unfiled returns, old balances, or other account problems can cause a hold while the IRS decides whether some or all of the refund must be offset.​
• Random or workload review: Some returns are selected simply for quality review or sampling—even when no specific problem is found.

The Where’s My Refund message itself does not tell you which of these applies; only a notice or transcript will.

How long this status can last

• Many “reviewing it” cases clear in roughly 2–8 additional weeks after the message first appears, especially when it is just routine verification, with no notice ever sent.
• If a notice is issued (for example, CP05 60‑day review, or an EITC documentation letter), the IRS often quotes up to 60–120 days from the date of the letter to complete the review after you respond.
• If deeper issues exist (unresolved prior‑year returns, audits, identity theft), the refund can be held for many months until the underlying problem is fixed.​

Taxpayers should understand that this status almost always means “expect a longer‑than‑21‑day timeline.”

What taxpayers should do (and avoid)

Do now

• Check your mail and online IRS account: Look for any recent IRS letters tied to this year’s return and make sure your address is current; notices will direct every next step.
• If you already have a notice, follow it exactly: Send only what is requested (copies of W‑2s/1099s, proof of dependents, school or childcare records, identity documents, etc.), by the method and deadline in the letter.
• Keep copies and proof of mailing: If you fax or mail documents, keep confirmation pages or certified‑mail receipts in case the IRS later says it did not receive your response.​

Avoid for now

• Don’t send unsolicited documents before a notice: Extra paperwork not requested by the IRS can get separated from your file and won’t speed things up.
• Don’t file a second original return: Duplicates often cause longer holds and more confusion in the system.​
• Don’t rely on daily refreshing or third‑party “trackers”: Where’s My Refund and IRS2Go generally update once per day; phone agents usually can’t see more detail than what’s already on your account until the review has progressed.

When it makes sense to call or seek help

• If the “reviewing it” / Action Required status has been showing for more than 21 days after e‑filing (or six weeks after mailing) and you still have no notice in the mail, you can call the IRS to ask whether a letter has been issued or if they can see a review code on your account.​
• If you received a notice and the IRS’s stated time frame (for example, 60 or 120 days) has passed with no update, call the number on the letter; if you can’t resolve it and you are experiencing a financial hardship because the refund is held, you may be eligible for help from the Taxpayer Advocate Service.​

This status means:

• The IRS cannot finish your return without your response
• A letter has already been sent
• Your refund will not move forward until you reply
• Ignoring it can cost you your refund

Unlike other delay messages, this one requires action.
The fastest path to resolution is opening the letter, responding exactly as instructed, and keeping proof.