Florida pair waiting on $24,851 tax refund told delay could stretch from 9 weeks to 180 days

"And I over-withheld both on an IRA withdrawal and also on my W-2 withholding."

A Florida couple expecting an income tax refund of $24,851 saw the estimated processing time balloon from nine weeks to 180 days, leaving them without their money or a clear answer after months of trying to find out what happened, WFLA reported.

Here's what to know

The effort to get an explanation started after an identity verification request and dragged on for months.

Cathy Boucher, who lives in Pasco County, and her husband filed their taxes in mid-February.

The refund, which their accountant calculated at $24,851, was larger than the couple had expected.

Boucher said they intentionally had extra tax withheld so they would receive money back.

"We were in a transition period, and I definitely went to a different tax bracket," Boucher told WFLA. "And I over-withheld both on an IRA withdrawal and also on my W-2 withholding."

More background

Boucher said she worried the return contained an error or that someone may have used the couple's personal information while the refund remained delayed without explanation.

"I don't know, is there an error and we just need to do an amended return?" Boucher wondered, per WFLA. "Or my biggest fear was that somebody filed under our Social Security numbers and that there really was an identity theft problem."

What's being done?

When Boucher contacted a taxpayer advocate for help, she was told another possible 90-day wait could follow.

Still, the request did produce a case number.

With the refund still unpaid, the couple reached out to WFLA.

An IRS spokesperson said the matter was referred for additional review by the taxpayer advocate office, which then contacted the couple.

WFLA said it would keep following the case until it was resolved.

Boucher said her concern went beyond the missing refund to the couple's IRS status.

"It's not just the money, but is there something wrong? And if there is, what is it? So we can fix it," she told WFLA.

Where can I learn more?

The couple is still waiting to find out why their refund has been held up.

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