Tax professional here. There's an important distinction to understand between Refund Anticipation Loans (RALs) and Refund Anticipation Checks (RACs). RALs are typically only available during the filing process, while RACs are essentially bank accounts set up to receive your refund with the tax preparation fees deducted. Neither option is generally available post-filing. If your grandson's return has been accepted and shows a refund is coming, he might consider: 1. Personal loan from a credit union (typically lower interest than tax advances) 2. Family loan (if possible) to be repaid when refund arrives 3. Requesting an advance from employer 4. Negotiating delayed payment with whoever he owes money to I'm slightly worried about the timing though - if his refund is subject to PATH Act verification (for certain credits), it could be delayed until mid-February at earliest.

Let me clarify something about these tax advance loans compared to other options. A typical tax advance loan might charge a "facilitation fee" of $39-89 plus interest rates between 36-199% APR. For a $1,500 advance, that's potentially $150+ in fees for a 3-week loan. By comparison, even a high-interest credit card cash advance (not recommended, but better than tax loans) might be 25-29% APR, which on $1,500 for 3 weeks would be around $30 in interest. A personal loan from a credit union might be 8-15% APR, or less than $15 for the same period. The tax advance loans are designed to prey on desperation and lack of options. There are almost always better alternatives.

Have you considered the dependency exemption allocation? This might be key to optimizing your tax situation. Can either of you waive the right to claim certain children? Would splitting the dependents across tax years work better? What about the impact on child tax credits and earned income credits? Have you calculated the difference in tax liability under each scenario? Did you account for state tax implications as well?

For military families in your situation, here are some important points to consider: • Military BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) is not taxable income but does count toward support calculations for HOH status • If you lived in on-base housing, special rules may apply for determining "cost of keeping up a home" • The Service Members Civil Relief Act provides certain protections but doesn't directly impact filing status • If your spouse was deployed to a combat zone, there may be additional tax considerations • State of legal residence vs. physical residence can impact state tax obligations • The stimulus payments from previous years should have gone to whoever claimed the children Documenting your separate living situation is crucial in case of audit. Keep records of separate addresses, utility bills, etc.

Have you checked if your bank processes government deposits differently than regular ones? Some banks make government deposits available immediately while others hold them for a day or two, don't they? And what about weekends - does March 14th fall on a weekend this year? If it does, wouldn't that push your deposit to the following Monday? I'd recommend calling your bank to ask about their specific policies for IRS direct deposits, wouldn't that give you more peace of mind?

I've been through this many times, and here's what I've learned about code 846: • It's 99% reliable as your deposit date • Some banks release funds early (Capital One and Chime often do) • Most major banks deposit exactly on the date shown • Credit unions can vary widely in processing time • If you filed with a tax preparer who takes fees from your refund, add 1-2 days • The "Where's My Refund" tool typically updates to "Approved" status within 24 hours of the 846 code appearing For medical bills, if you absolutely need the money by a certain date, call the medical billing office. Many will hold off on collections if you can prove the refund is coming (screenshot of transcript).

Tbh this happens way more than TT admits. Had a client last yr whose entire Sch C got mangled during upload. Fed accepted it (which was worse!) and we didn't catch it til months later. My advice: always ALWAYS download the final PDF after filing and compare it line by line w/ your actual docs. Waiting for fed rejection is like waiting for a time bomb - just fix it now and save the headache.

Another option worth considering is to file a superseding return rather than an amended return if the April 15 deadline hasn't passed. According to the IRS website (https://www.irs.gov/faqs/irs-procedures/amended-returns/amended-return-frequently-asked-questions), a superseding return completely replaces the original return and is treated as the original filing. This avoids the longer processing time of an amended return and prevents potential penalties for the incorrect information.

Word of caution from someone who's been there - don't wait until the last minute with this. Back in 2022, I needed my transcript for a student loan application and thought I could just quickly download it. My credit was frozen (which I'd forgotten about), and that blocked the ID.me verification. Had to thaw the credit, wait 24 hours, then try again. By then, I'd missed my deadline and had to pay a late application fee. The transcript system works great when everything aligns, but have a backup plan for your mortgage application just in case.

Isn't it amazing how something that should be simple becomes so complicated? I was in your exact situation last month with a mortgage refinance. After trying the online method and getting stuck in verification loops, I called the dedicated transcript line at 7:00 AM exactly when they opened. Got through in 15 minutes, and the agent faxed my transcript directly to my mortgage broker. Would you believe they received it before I even hung up the phone? Sometimes the old-fashioned method works better than fighting with the online system. Worth trying if you're really in a time crunch.

Compared to my previous returns with EIC, my non-EIC return this year processed dramatically faster. While my EIC returns typically took 25-30 days even after the PATH Act hold lifted, my current return took just 9 days from acceptance to direct deposit. Without code 768, your return bypasses the special compliance review process that EIC returns undergo. It's such a relief not having to deal with that extra waiting period! Your processing should be significantly quicker than the standard 21 days, assuming there are no other review codes on your transcript.

YES! You absolutely will process faster! I'm a tax preparer and I'm seeing non-EIC returns processing in 7-14 days consistently this season while EIC returns are taking 21-30 days minimum. The 21-day guideline is the IRS's way of managing expectations, but without refundable credits, you're on the fast track! So excited for you to get your refund sooner than expected! Just keep checking your transcript for the 846 refund issued code - that's when the money is on its way!

There are actually several solutions to this problem: • Use exactly $0 as your prior year AGI (no decimal points) • Check for a specific "did not file last year" option in your software • Create an account on IRS.gov which requires identity verification but bypasses AGI issues • Request an Identity Protection PIN through the IRS website • File by paper as a last resort I've helped dozens of clients with this exact issue. Most software has a specific way to handle non-filers from the previous year.

I've been there. It's frustrating. Try another software. Some handle this better. I used FreeTaxUSA last year. It worked fine. They have a specific option. Don't panic. Paper filing is always an option. Just mail it in. Takes longer for refunds though. Worth trying online options first.

According to the Internal Revenue Manual (IRM) section 21.4.1, once a return has been accepted for processing with direct deposit information, the payment method cannot be altered through customer service channels. The Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) locks payment parameters after initial processing stage. However, there are two specific scenarios to be aware of: 1. If the financial institution rejects the direct deposit (closed account, incorrect routing number), the IRS automatically converts to paper check issuance. 2. If you're concerned about tax offset intercepts (where the Treasury Offset Program might take part of your refund for outstanding debts), changing to paper check would not prevent this as TPO intercepts occur before disbursement method is executed. Your best course of action is to ensure your banking information is correct and active, or alternatively, allow the direct deposit to fail naturally if you prefer a paper check.

Just to clarify something I'm seeing in the other comments - when people say "accepted" they're usually referring to two different things that get confused a lot. Your return being "accepted" by the IRS just means they received it and it passed the initial checks. It doesn't mean the review process has finished. So while it's true you can't change the direct deposit info now (unless you want to file an amended return, which would delay things by months... not worth it! 😅), you're still probably a couple weeks away from the actual deposit happening if you're on PATH. The PATH Act holds certain refunds until at least February 15th, so they're just now starting to release those funds for qualifying returns.

I worked a seasonal job with a tax preparation company. We saw this pattern frequently. State verification rarely triggers federal verification. They use different security systems. Most people who verify for state sail through federal processing without issues. Your transcript showing processing without 570/971 codes is a good sign. You'll likely see your refund soon.

Under IRS Publication 5027, identity verification requirements are specifically tied to the Taxpayer Protection Program (TPP). Does anyone know if the TPP flags are shared between state and federal systems? Or do they maintain completely separate risk assessment protocols?

I had a $14,800 refund last year due to a similar situation with overtaxation on a bonus. Isn't it interesting how the withholding system treats lump sum payments as if you'll make that amount every pay period? I filed on February 10th and received my refund on March 8th - so 26 days total. The IRS did verify my identity through their online verification system, which added about a week to the process. But overall, it was smoother than I expected for such a large amount. Have you checked if you might be eligible for the identity verification online rather than by mail? That can save considerable time if your return gets flagged.

The community consensus on large refunds is that filing accuracy matters more than timing. PATH Act restrictions only apply to EITC and ACTC claims, which have a mandatory hold until mid-February regardless of when you file. For non-PATH refunds, the Discriminant Function System (DIF) scoring used by the IRS assigns higher review probability to returns with statistically unusual characteristics - large refunds being one factor but not the only one. My recommendation: file when your documentation is complete, ensure your W-2 data matches exactly what you enter, and use direct deposit for fastest processing. E-filing with complete documentation typically results in the fastest processing regardless of refund size.