The IRS Is Now Contacting You Online — and Silence Means Delay
In previous years, taxpayers expected important IRS correspondence to arrive by mail, in a physical envelope. But that era is fading fast. The IRS is increasingly delivering time-sensitive notices digitally inside the secure IRS Online Account portal — and failing to read or respond to those messages can put your refund on indefinite hold.
If you are waiting for a refund and haven’t logged into your IRS Online Account recently, it may be the reason your refund is stalled.
To speed communication, cut administrative costs, and prevent identity theft, the IRS has begun shifting key notices to your digital IRS account, including:
Instead of sending a letter first, the IRS may post a secure online alert weeks before mailing a physical document — if a physical letter is sent at all.
In some cases, only the digital version exists.
Many taxpayers:
Meanwhile, inside the IRS portal sits a notice requiring a response.
And until you answer it, your refund does not move.
When the IRS sends a digital notice requiring response and receives no reply, transcript codes often show:
But the taxpayer may never actually see the notice.
If the request is ignored long enough, the IRS can:
This is not a refusal by the IRS — it is a non-response issue.
The IRS suspects income or withholding discrepancies.
The IRS believes additional income exists (1099, brokerage, crypto, gig work, etc.).
Refund frozen pending ID verification.
IRS asks for supporting evidence such as:
Certain examinations begin digitally.
Log in at the IRS Online Account and review:
Do not rely on:
The online portal is now the primary communication channel.
Even if you never saw it.
Even if you lost access to your account.
Even if you expected postal mail.
The IRS presumes:
That presumption legally allows them to hold or recalculate your refund.
Not just WMR — use the full account portal.
Some accounts offer message alerts.
Do not wait. Reset ID.me or IRS login.
Speed matters — delays prolong the hold.
Especially if credit-based refunds are involved.
Refund delays increasingly aren’t caused by system backlogs — they’re caused by taxpayers missing digital notices. The IRS is moving fast toward an online-first communication model, and failing to check your IRS account can result in:
If you are waiting for refund movement, log into your IRS Online Account today — not just WMR — and check for messages requiring action.
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