Still waiting on your federal tax refund in Colorado, and getting conflicting info about where it is? You're not alone.

Still waiting on your federal tax refund in Colorado, and getting conflicting info about where it is

Some Coloradans are still waiting on their federal tax refunds.

Taxpaying nurse Kourtney Palmer of Thornton says, not only is she still waiting on her refund, she's also getting conflicting messages from the Internal Revenue Service about the status of it.  

Kourtney Palmer.  CBS

Palmer says she filed her return online on April 13 this year before the tax deadline. The IRS says it usually takes about 21 days for an e-file return like hers to be processed, but nearly two months later, she still hasn't received her federal refund, even though she got her state refund direct deposit in May.

Palmer has been checking the IRS refund tracker online, but she says that hasn't been much help. 

"When I first initially checked in the beginning of May, it had said that it was sent to me on April 26, and then when I checked it last week, it said that it was sent on May 26, and then I had just checked it again yesterday, and it's back to saying that it was sent on April 26," Palmer said. "So I don't really understand that."

In an email to CBS News Colorado, a spokesperson for the IRS said there's no indication of any problems with the refund tracker tool. 

Regardless, Palmer says her frustrations remain high, as she also can't get much help from the IRS customer service phone line. 

"It's practically impossible getting a hold of anybody," Palmer said. 

She says the wait times when she has tried to call have been about three to four hours. 

"I don't have time to wait and do that all day," Palmer said. "You're looking for answers, but you can't get in contact with anybody, and it doesn't really give you much information on the website. Even when you type in questions, the answers aren't very helpful."

Palmer says she called her bank to see if they had seen anything come into her account that wasn't showing up on her end, and the bank told her they have been receiving many calls just like hers. 

"They actually knew right away what I was talking about," Palmer recalled. "According to the gentleman I was speaking to, he said that a lot of people are facing this exact same issue ... It tells me that something could be very wrong."

She says she also posted about her situation online, and others told her they were facing the same problems.

IRS data shows there are still about three million returns nationwide waiting to be processed. 

CBS News Colorado asked if there are potentially any system errors or issues causing delays, but a spokesperson for the agency says there's no indication of that, and there are a variety of reasons a taxpayer's refund may be delayed. 

Asked what people facing refund delays can do for help, the IRS spokesperson provided the following information:

"Generally, people can leave a number and have a call back. Wait times vary by day and time of day. People can set up an online account and check items there without contacting the IRS. Additionally, people can request the Taxpayer Advocate Service check into their case, but taxpayers must meet certain criteria."

Meanwhile, Palmer remains skeptical. 

"It's incredibly frustrating," she said. "Do better; this money is owed back to us. We should find out where it is, provide more information and make it a little bit easier to get in contact with somebody."

The IRS says, technically if someone's tax refund is delayed after a certain amount of time, they are entitled to receive additional interest. It remains to be seen as to whether that will apply in Palmer's case. 

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