Frequently asked questions

Why are my emails not answered?

Replies are sent when there is news on the case. No reply means no news.

Answering every email only to say there is nothing new would take up the time that goes into the case itself: dealing with the IRS.

Has my case been forgotten?

No. While the IRS processes the return, the case is monitored and the IRS is contacted whenever contact can move it forward.

How long does it take?

Cases for nonresidents usually take 6 to 9 months from the date the ITIN was issued. The date is on the CP565 notice.

Some are paid sooner, others take much longer. It depends entirely on the IRS, and no one can predict it.

About the CP565 notice: IRS.gov/CP565 · About the ITIN: IRS.gov/ITIN

How can I follow my case myself?

Create an ID.me account, verify your identity and link it to your IRS account.

It is free and gives access to exactly the same information available to your representatives, including earlier years, updated daily. It is the quickest way to see where the money is. A step-by-step guide is here.

Also available:

• Where's My Refund? · irs.gov/refunds
• Your IRS online account · irs.gov/account
• IRS International Helpline · +1 (267) 941-1000

"Where's My Refund?" cannot find my return

"Where's My Refund?" only shows the current tax year (2025) and the two before it (2024 and 2023). For earlier years, use ID.me or call the IRS on +1 (267) 941-1000.

It also only shows returns that have already been processed, and returns from nonresidents take much longer to appear there.

"Not found" does not mean the return has been lost. It means it has not reached that system yet.

More than 6 to 9 months have passed since my ITIN was issued and there is still no refund. What should I do?

Nothing needs to be done.

Every case is followed daily. Once the 6 to 9 month window has passed, the case is referred to the IRS's own independent service for taxpayers, the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS). Depending on the complexity of the case, TAS can take from a few weeks to a few months to resolve it.

Most delays come from operational failures at the IRS, which has fewer staff than its workload needs, or from human error, as the few staff who handle nonresident returns are overloaded.

Pressing the IRS until the refund is issued is exactly what the service is for.

Can someone call the IRS and ask them to speed it up?

Calls are made when they make a difference. But the IRS does not speed up a case on request. Calling every week does not move the queue; it only takes time away from the case.

Will I be compensated for the delay?

In part. The IRS pays interest when a refund is late, calculated automatically. It is not compensation: there is no payment for stress, late bills, exchange rates or lost opportunities.

In practice the amounts are usually small, and the IRS may withhold U.S. tax on the interest, depending on the country of residence and its tax treaty with the United States. There may be interest, but it should not be counted on.

No fee is charged on interest paid because of IRS delays.

My cheque has not arrived

Delivery of a U.S. Treasury cheque depends on the postal service in your city and country. Neither the IRS nor TaxRefund.gg has any control over the post.

Once you are told the cheque has been issued, allow at least 6 to 10 weeks for delivery. The IRS uses the cheapest form of post available: it is slow and has no tracking.

If the cheque has not arrived 12 to 16 weeks after the issue date, it has probably been lost or returned to the IRS.

When a cheque is returned to the IRS, identity-fraud safeguards are triggered and a new cheque or bank deposit is only issued if requested through ID.me. Registering with ID.me as soon as possible is therefore essential.

Note the deadline printed on the cheque itself: "VOID AFTER ONE YEAR". A U.S. Treasury cheque expires one year after it is issued. Do not keep it for later.

Lost, stolen or destroyed cheque: IRS Topic 161

The refund was lower than estimated. Why?

When a Form 1042-S was issued without the ITIN, the IRS sometimes cannot find the record of the tax paid over by the payer. Companies such as Epic Games Inc, Twitch, Google and Steam make thousands of payments a year.

The IRS may also adjust the amount, offset earlier debts or correct data reported by the payer. When that happens, the IRS is contacted to identify the correct withholding and pay the difference. This adds further delay.

About the form: IRS.gov/Form1042S

I received a letter from the IRS. What should I do?

Nothing. Keep it in a safe place.

Most letters are courtesy notices the IRS is required to send: confirmation that the ITIN was issued, that the return was received, that more time is needed to process it, and so on.

If a letter contains incorrect information or asks for a payment that is not due, this is usually the result of an IRS error (see above). Do not pay a bill from the IRS before it has been reviewed. As your representatives, TaxRefund.gg receives copies of the letters the IRS sends you and replies to the IRS with the information needed.

If anything is needed from you, you will be told directly. Otherwise, the letter can be set aside; it is already being dealt with.

Receiving a bill instead of a refund is stressful. The reply to the IRS is sent on your behalf, and the IRS is pressed until the information is corrected and the refund is issued.

I have changed my address, email or bank account

Tell the IRS straight away through ID.me.

Under new security rules, the IRS no longer allows representatives to change these details by phone. From 2026, changes of address, email or bank account can only be made through ID.me. Changes made through ID.me take effect immediately.

Without access to ID.me, there is a postal alternative (Form 8822), but it takes weeks.

Tell TaxRefund.gg as well, so the file stays up to date.

I cannot verify my identity with ID.me

ID.me registration requires:

• the CP565 notice confirming the ITIN
• a proof of address
• a valid passport
• a second valid photo ID, such as a national identity card or driving licence

The proof of address must show the same address as the CP565 notice, or the account will not be approved.

The second ID must be the physical original, not a digital copy, and must show an expiry date.

The most common mistake: on the first screen, choose "I don't live in the United States". Do not select Self-Service or Video Call; ITIN holders living abroad need this specific route. Then skip the SSN fields and choose to continue with the ITIN.

Once the documents are accepted and the account is created, an interview with an ID.me agent must be booked for the final check. Interpreters are available in more than 240 languages.

Once the account is created and linked to the IRS account, you will see exactly the same information available to your representatives and receive updates from the IRS directly, in real time.

ID.me is not a TaxRefund.gg site and no technical support is provided for it. Registration problems, rejected documents, stuck verifications or agent interviews must be taken up with ID.me support directly.

Step-by-step guide: taxrefund.gg/idme-guide · ID.me's official instructions for ITIN holders: help.id.me

What happened in 2021?

In 2021 Epic Games Inc changed the company that issues its Forms 1042-S and, in the process, made an error that affected thousands of accounts.

As a result, the tax withheld did not match what was reported to the IRS. Without that record, the IRS cannot confirm the withholding and does not release the refund.

Epic Games Inc was contacted through every available channel to correct its records. There was no response.

The error is not TaxRefund.gg's. Even so, every affected case has been pursued for five years, with the IRS and with the Taxpayer Advocate Service. No case has been dropped.

If your 2021 year is still pending, this is why.