810 codes are serious. Not always identity theft. Could be income verification. Might be investment reporting issues. Check all 1099 forms. Compare against transcript. Look for CP01 notices. Try ID verification online. Call Tax Advocate if desperate. Patience required. System is backlogged.

I went through this exact nightmare last year! Had an 810 freeze for 8 weeks that turned out to be related to my cryptocurrency reporting. The IRS flagged it because my Coinbase 1099-K didn't match what I initially reported. What finally worked for me was calling the Practitioner Priority Service line (even though I'm not a tax pro, the agent didn't ask for credentials) and got through in about 45 minutes. The agent was able to see that I needed to verify some crypto transactions and walked me through exactly what documentation to fax. Once I sent the trading records and amended return, the freeze cleared in exactly 21 days. Don't give up - the 6 week mark is actually when they're supposed to start expediting these cases according to the Taxpayer Bill of Rights!

I had my state return under review for nearly 7 weeks last year while my federal came through in 2 weeks. It's much more common than it used to be. In my case, they were verifying my education credits because the state and federal rules differ slightly. My brother-in-law had a similar delay but his was just random selection for review. Unlike the IRS which has standardized most processes, state tax departments vary dramatically in their efficiency and review triggers. Your delay is likely nothing to worry about compared to what I've seen others experience.

This is frustrating but unfortunately pretty normal this year. I went through the exact same thing - federal refund processed in 19 days, state took 6 weeks. The state systems are just slower and more backed up, especially since many states upgraded their fraud detection systems after the pandemic. My advice: check your state's tax portal every few days for status updates, but don't stress about it unless it hits the 8-week mark. At that point, definitely call them. In the meantime, at least you got your federal refund! That's usually the bigger chunk anyway.

I'm a tax preparer and see this situation ALL the time - you're actually in a really good spot! The "Single" withholding rate takes out significantly more tax per paycheck than "Married" withholding does. This is because the tax brackets for married filing jointly are roughly double the single brackets, so married couples can earn more before hitting higher tax rates. With your combined income of ~$145k, you'll almost certainly want to file married filing jointly. The standard deduction for MFJ in 2024 is $29,200 (vs $14,600 for single filers), so you're getting double the deduction benefit right off the bat. Don't stress about the W-4 mistake - it actually worked in your favor! Update them for 2025, but for 2024 you're likely looking at a nice refund rather than owing anything. I'd estimate you're probably over-withheld by $2,000-4,000 based on your income levels, but run the actual numbers to be sure.

Just wanted to add my perspective as someone who works in payroll - this mistake is incredibly common and you're definitely not alone! We see this all the time with newly married employees who forget to update their W-4s. The good news is that the IRS withholding tables for "Single" are designed to be more conservative (meaning they take out more tax) precisely because single filers don't get the benefit of married filing jointly brackets and deductions. So you've essentially been overpaying all year. One tip for the future: when you update your W-4s for 2025, consider using the IRS withholding calculator on their website (irs.gov) to get the most accurate withholding amounts. This will help you avoid both overpaying (like you did this year) and underpaying in future years. The calculator takes into account both spouses' incomes and helps optimize your withholding. You should definitely breathe easier - this "mistake" likely saved you from having to make estimated quarterly payments that many married couples with similar incomes sometimes need to make!

Did you file with any refundable credits like the Child Tax Credit or Earned Income Credit? If so, have you verified that your return shows the correct amounts for these? I'm asking because returns with these credits sometimes go through additional verification steps that can delay the deposit date assignment.

I went through this exact same thing in 2023! Filed early February, got "approved" status but no date for almost 2 weeks. I was stressed because I needed the money for my daughter's daycare payments. What helped me was checking my account transcript on the IRS website - it showed a cycle code 20231305 which meant my refund was actually scheduled for release the following Friday, even though WMR still showed no date. The money hit my account exactly when the transcript indicated it would. Since you filed Feb 10th and it's now approved, I'd expect you'll see a date within the next few days. The IRS is just really backed up this time of year.

2 Anyone know if the income thresholds for child tax credit phaseout are different for married filing separately vs jointly? With 5 kids that could make a huge difference in the calculation.

Just want to add another important consideration - state taxes! Some states don't allow married filing separately even if you do it federally, which can complicate things. Also, with 5 kids, don't forget about the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) - you lose eligibility for this completely when filing separately, and with that many qualifying children, the EITC could be worth several thousand dollars. I'd also suggest looking into whether any of your kids qualify for the Additional Child Tax Credit, which is partially refundable. The interaction between all these credits gets really complex with multiple children, so definitely run both scenarios through tax software or consult a professional before deciding.