Why IRS tax refunds after death can take over a year and what to do

Core Insights - The IRS takes an average of 444 calendar days to issue refunds to beneficiaries of deceased taxpayers, significantly longer than the typical 21 days for regular tax refunds [2] - As of July 2024, there were 440,443 cases of refunds due to deceased taxpayers, totaling over $1.3 billion, with a notable percentage of these refunds being significantly delayed [3] Refund Processing Delays - The lengthy refund process is attributed to the requirement of filing IRS Form 1310, which initiates a manual processing system that can lead to bottlenecks [5] - The National Taxpayer Advocate highlighted the emotional burden on survivors during the tax filing process after a loved one's death [4] IRS Actions to Expedite Refunds - The IRS has made progress in reducing its backlog, clearing over 70% of it by August 2025, with only about 1,100 returns remaining to be processed [6] - New measures have been implemented for the 2025 tax filings to streamline the refund process for deceased taxpayers, including systemic refunds once Form 1310 is processed and improved employee training [7]