IRS owes me a refund from 2022. Finally sent out the check in June of 2023. Still haven’t gotten it.

Called them up. Automated menus. Then finally waited on hold for 20 minutes after pressing random buttons, got a guy, wrong department. He transfers me. Another 25 minutes, get a woman.

She’s mumbling, can’t tell what the hell she Is saying, ask her to speak up, she refuses, says she’s speaking as loudly as she’s going to.

She says we can put a trace on the refund check if I want. I ask what does that do. More unintelligible mumbling. I ask what if the check arrives in two more weeks, and the trace is on, does that require me to do anything? More mumbling about forms, matching signatures and something else.

I get annoyed, say I can’t really hear you and can’t decide whether to put the trace on it because I don’t understand the consequences. It’s been 15 months since I filed for the refund (and paid my accountant an extra $400), and I’m getting frustrated.

When I’m done talking the call is still connected, but no response. Hello. Hello? Hello!!! Still connected, no response for another minute, and I hang up, figure hopefully that shit will just arrive in the next month or so since I’m overseas, and it takes a while.

No idea if she put the trace on it or not, but doubtful because I didn’t tell her too.

Get your money out of the system to the greatest extent practicable. It’s falling apart.