846 code shows refund date but also have 971 code (notice issued) - will I still get my refund?

This is actually pretty common. When you see the 846 code with a date, that's when your refund is scheduled to be sent to your bank. The 971 code just means the IRS issued some kind of notice to you. Sometimes these notices are sent by mail and don't appear online right away, or ever in some cases. The good news is that once you have an 846 code with a date, your refund is basically approved and on its way. The notice could be something simple like confirming an adjustment they made or just letting you know your return was processed. Since the 846 date is AFTER the 971 date, that's a great sign - it means they sent a notice and THEN approved your refund. You should receive your refund on or around September 9th. If your bank holds funds, it might take an extra day or two to appear in your account. But you're in good shape - congrats!

I know a lot of us here try to figure out what these codes mean by piecing things together from reddit posts and IRS pages that make no sense. I was in the same spot trying to decode my transcript last month. I finally tried taxr.ai and it was a game changer - it read my whole transcript, explained every code, and told me exactly when to expect my money. It even told me what the notice was about before I got it in the mail! Their site is https://taxr.ai if anyone needs help understanding their transcript situation. Way better than guessing or waiting on hold with the IRS for hours.

I had the exact same situation in March this year. Got my transcript showing 846 with a refund date and also saw a 971 code a few days before. Was totally paranoid it meant they were gonna take back my refund or something. Ended up using that Claimyr app (claimyr.com) to get thru to an IRS agent instead of waiting on hold for 3 hours. The agent confirmed my refund was coming on the date shown and explained the notice was just confirming a small adjustment they made to my refund amount. Best $20 I ever spent because I got peace of mind AND the agent was able to see things that weren't showing on my transcript yet. My refund showed up exactly on the 846 date.

dude, i panicked about this EXACT thing last month! the 971 code is usually just them sending info about your return processing. i got my refund on the exact date from the 846 code even with the 971 showing. as long as you dont have any 570 codes (which means refund hold), you should be good to go!

The IRS transcript codes are literally designed to confuse us 🙄 I swear they could make this so much simpler but choose not to. I don't understand why they can't just say "Your refund will arrive on this date" instead of making us decode hieroglyphics.

I work as a tax preparer (not an expert but I see this a lot). The 971 followed by 846 is usually a GOOD pattern, not a bad one. The notice is probably just informing you of adjustments or interest they're adding to your refund. In fact, sometimes the 971 notices are actually telling you they added MORE money to your refund in the form of interest for taking too long to process it. I've seen this happen dozens of times this season alone.

Don't mean to be that person but... why does everyone freak out about transcript codes before just calling the IRS? 😕 They literally have all the answers right there.

Last year I had a 971 code followed by an 846 code and freaked out about it. But then I got both my notice (was about them fixing a math error in my favor) AND my refund right on schedule. As long as there's no 570 code (which means they're holding your refund), you're probably fine. The IRS is actually surprisingly reliable about the 846 date once it posts.

Anybody else feel like the IRS is making this stuff deliberately confusing? Like why not just use plain language in the first place?? "We're sending you money on this date" instead of cryptic codes that send everyone spiraling into anxiety attacks 😤

I found this chart that explains all the transcript codes if anyone wants it: https://www.irs.gov/irm/part21/irm_21-004-001r#idm140292277300448

Same thing happened to me! Had 971 notice issued and 846 refund code. Called the IRS after trying for days and they said the notice was just telling me they fixed a math error and added $12 to my refund. Got my money exactly on the date from the 846 code. You're good!

Just a heads up - sometimes the 971 notice doesn't show online at all and only comes by mail. Mine took almost 2 weeks after the transcript showed the 971 code to actually arrive in my mailbox. But my refund still hit my account on the exact day shown by the 846 code.

Wait until you hear about cycle codes and processing weeks 🙃 The rabbit hole goes way deeper than just 846 and 971 codes. Been filing for 20+ years and I still don't understand half of what's on these transcripts.

I had this exact same panic attack last year! 971 followed by 846 is actually a really good sign. The 971 just means they sent you a notice (probably about a small adjustment they made), and the 846 with a date means your refund is approved and scheduled. Since your 846 date is AFTER the 971 date, it means they resolved whatever the notice was about and then approved your refund. I got my money exactly on the 846 date even though I never saw the notice online. It came in the mail like 2 weeks later and was just telling me they corrected a small math error in my favor. You should definitely get your refund on September 9th! The IRS is pretty reliable about those 846 dates once they post.

I totally get the anxiety around seeing multiple codes on your transcript! I went through the exact same thing a few months ago. Had a 971 code followed by an 846 code and was convinced something was wrong with my refund. Turns out the 971 was just notifying me that they had adjusted my refund amount slightly (added interest for processing delays) and the 846 was confirming the final refund amount and deposit date. The key thing to remember is that once you see that 846 code with a specific date, your refund is basically locked in and approved. The IRS doesn't put that code on your transcript unless they're confident the money is going out on that date. Since your 846 is dated after your 971, it means they issued the notice first and THEN approved your refund - which is the normal sequence. You should definitely receive your refund on September 9th. The notice will probably show up in your mail within the next week or two, but don't worry if it doesn't appear online. Sometimes they only send paper notices. Hope this helps ease your mind!

I went through this exact same situation earlier this year and completely understand the stress! The combination of 971 and 846 codes had me checking my transcript multiple times a day. But here's what happened - I got my refund exactly on the date shown by the 846 code, even though the 971 notice made me paranoid something was wrong. The notice that eventually came in the mail (about 10 days later) was just informing me that they had made a small adjustment to my return - they actually INCREASED my refund by $47 because of some calculation they corrected. So the 971 wasn't bad news at all! From what I've learned, when you see 846 after 971, it means they sent you a notice about something (the 971) and then proceeded to approve and schedule your refund (the 846). If there was a serious problem that would stop your refund, you'd see different codes like 570 (additional account action pending). September 9th should be your day! Try not to stress too much about it - I know it's easier said than done when you're waiting for money you really need. The 846 code is pretty reliable once it posts with a date.

I'm new to this community but have been following this thread closely because I'm in almost the exact same situation! I've got a 971 code from September 1st and an 846 code with a September 12th date. Reading everyone's experiences here has been incredibly helpful - it's amazing how supportive this community is for people trying to navigate these confusing IRS codes. Like many others have mentioned, I was initially panicked when I saw both codes on my transcript. But after reading all these responses, especially from people who actually work in tax preparation, I'm feeling much more confident that the September 12th date will hold. It sounds like the 971 → 846 sequence is actually pretty normal and usually means good news. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - it really makes a difference for those of us who are new to decoding these transcripts. This community is such a great resource!