Don't rely on your tax refund to pay your immediate bills! While refunds are normally issued within a few weeks of filing, they can be delayed for various reasons:

Don't rely on your tax refund to pay your immediate bills! 

While refunds are normally issued within a few weeks of filing, they can be delayed for various reasons:

1) IRS review: Not exactly an audit, but the return was flagged for a manual review by a human, as opposed to it being automatically processed by the IRS computer. 

They generally claim that it can take 60 days, but it can be much longer due to backlogs and staffing problems. Give this 3-8 months. 

2) Income verification audit: Your refund will be on hold until you prove your income, and the IRS gets to processing it. 

Give this at least 3-6 months. If the income is from a foreign wage, give this 6-12 months.

3) Return selected for audit: This can take quite a while until it's resolved. You will need to comply with the IRS to give over the information needed. Give this at least 6-12 months. 

4) The IRS may decide to issue a check, even if you asked for direct deposit. Checks regularly get lost or stolen, and a claim for reissue, Form 3911 may need to be filed. 

Form 3911 can take 12 months or longer to process the reissue. If the check was stolen and deposited in the thief's account, the investigation can take even longer (12-36 months!). 

5) Identity verification: The IRS may flag your return for possible ID theft, even if it's not. This happens often for first time filers. 

You may need to call the IRS ID verification line, fax in ID and your social security card, or even go in person to an IRS office in the US. If you live abroad, this can be a real problem. Give this 3-12 months.

6) IRS errors: The IRS may mistakenly deny your refund, and you'll have to prove to them why you deserve it before they agree to issue your refund. Give this 6-12 months.

7) Mistake on your return: You or your accountant may have mistakenly claimed something you aren't eligible for. Using a competent accountant can help you to avoid this.

Remember not to blame your accountant! These factors (except for the last) are beyond their control. Once your return is filed, the IRS can decide anything.