


Ask the community...
As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to say how helpful this entire thread has been! I'm currently dealing with a very similar situation - my state return was mailed over three weeks ago and seems to have vanished, while my federal return processed normally. Reading about Carmen's successful outcome and learning about the "timely mailed, timely filed" rule from everyone's comments has been incredibly reassuring. I had no idea that keeping my USPS receipt was so important for legal protection against filing deadline issues. It's also comforting to understand that state tax departments typically process much slower than federal due to resource differences. The suggestions about services like taxr.ai for verification and Claimyr for getting through phone queues are really valuable too. I might look into those if my return doesn't show up soon. But honestly, just knowing that this is a common issue during tax season and that it usually resolves itself (like it did for Carmen) has reduced my stress significantly. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and advice. This community seems really supportive for navigating these frustrating government service issues!
Welcome to the community! I'm also pretty new here and going through almost the exact same situation. It's such a relief to find this thread and realize how common this issue actually is. I mailed my state return about a month ago and was starting to panic when it didn't show up in their system, especially since my federal return went through so quickly. Reading Carmen's update that everything worked out really helps calm those "what if it's lost forever" fears. The advice about keeping USPS receipts safe is something I wish I'd known was so important before tax season - definitely filing that away for next year! Thanks for mentioning those services too, I might need to look into them if my return stays MIA much longer.
As a newcomer to this community, I found this thread incredibly helpful and reassuring! I'm currently in week 4 of waiting for my state return to show up in their system, and I was starting to really stress about it. Reading Carmen's update that her refund came through is such a relief - it shows that these situations really do resolve themselves even when it feels hopeless. I had no idea about the "timely mailed, timely filed" rule before finding this discussion. Learning that my USPS receipt actually provides legal protection against deadline penalties is huge peace of mind. It's also helpful to understand why state processing is so much slower than federal - the resource difference makes total sense. The suggestions about services like taxr.ai for verification and Claimyr for phone queues are really valuable too, though I'm hoping I won't need them. But just knowing these options exist is comforting. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and advice. This community seems like a great resource for navigating these frustrating government service issues. Sometimes you just need to hear that you're not alone and that things usually work out in the end!
Tax pro here: The IP PIN and identity verification serve different purposes. IP PIN prevents fraudulent filing, verification confirms you filed. You may need both depending on your situation. Pro tip: use taxr.ai if you want a detailed analysis of your specific case - it's been a game changer for my clients.
Super accurate! It reads your actual transcript and explains everything in plain English. Way better than guessing
Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! This clears up my confusion. I was hoping the IP PIN would simplify things but sounds like I need to be prepared for both. Really appreciate the detailed explanations - makes sense that they serve different security purposes even though it's frustrating to deal with multiple layers.
I know exactly how stressful this waiting period is! I went through this last month and wanted to share my positive outcome: โข Amendment appeared on transcript: March 4th โข Refund approved (code 846): March 19th โข Money deposited: March 22nd So that was 15 days from transcript update to refund approval, and 18 days total until money in my account. What helped me was checking my transcript every Tuesday and Friday morning (they seem to update in batches those days). Hang in there - the waiting is the hardest part but it WILL come through!
I've been tracking IRS amended return timelines for my accounting practice, and here's what I've observed across multiple clients: Once your amended return appears on transcript, you're typically looking at 10-21 business days until you see the TC 846 (refund issued) code with a deposit date. However, Q1/Q2 processing tends to be slower due to regular filing season backlog. For your investment planning purposes, I'd recommend using a 25-business-day timeline from transcript appearance to actual deposit as your conservative estimate. One thing that might help - if you see TC 971 with AC 052 on your transcript, that usually indicates your amendment is in the final review stage before refund authorization.
This is really helpful data! As someone new to dealing with amended returns, I'm wondering - is there any way to tell which "stage" your amendment is in just by looking at the transcript codes? I see you mentioned TC 971 with AC 052 as a good sign, but are there other codes that might indicate delays or issues? My amendment just appeared on my transcript yesterday and I'm trying to understand what to look for as it progresses through the system.
Has anyone here successfully used the "Specific Project Allocation" method to minimize the impact of Section 174 capitalization? My accountant mentioned it but wasn't very clear on how to implement it properly. Supposedly you can allocate expenses to specific R&D projects in a way that might give you more favorable treatment?
I tried this approach last year. Basically, you categorize R&E costs by specific projects rather than general buckets, which can help if some projects might qualify for different tax treatments. It helped us identify some costs that were actually regular Section 162 business expenses rather than Section 174 R&E expenses, so they could be immediately deducted.
I'm dealing with the same Section 174 headache for my consulting firm. One thing I discovered that might help others - the IRS has a specific FAQ section (Publication 5137) that addresses common Section 174 questions, including examples of what qualifies as R&E expenses versus regular business expenses. It's buried pretty deep on their website, but it helped me understand why some of my software development costs had to be capitalized while others could be immediately deducted. The publication includes flowcharts that walk you through the decision process, which was way more helpful than the general guidance I'd been finding. Also, keep in mind that if you're a small business with gross receipts under $27 million (averaged over 3 years), you might still qualify for certain immediate expensing options under other sections of the tax code, even if Section 174 requires capitalization. Worth checking with a qualified tax professional about your specific situation.
Giovanni Ricci
I've been dealing with IRS returns for years and this "info incorrect" message after weeks of "still processing" is actually very common. It typically happens when your return moves from one department to another or when they're about to issue your refund. The system basically hiccups during the transition. I'd give it another 5-7 days before getting too concerned.
0 coins
Kevin Bell
I experienced the exact same thing last year! Filed in early February, got "still processing" for about 3 weeks, then suddenly the WMR system started saying my information was incorrect. I was panicking thinking someone had stolen my identity or something was wrong with my return. But it turned out to be just a system glitch - got my refund deposited about 10 days after that error message first appeared. The IRS systems are honestly pretty outdated and this seems to be a common bug when returns move between processing stages. Try not to stress too much about it, your return is probably fine and just moving through their internal processes.
0 coins