


Ask the community...
Hey Alice! I completely understand the anxiety you're going through right now - those codes can be really intimidating when you're counting on that refund for important expenses like medical bills. I went through this exact situation about 6 weeks ago and wanted to share my experience to hopefully give you some peace of mind. My timeline was: ⢠Monday: Noticed 826/971 codes on my transcript ⢠Following Wednesday: Got my DDD (846 code) ⢠Friday: Refund deposited ⢠Next Tuesday: Received the CP12 notice explaining the adjustment In my case, they reduced my refund by $156 because I had miscalculated my health savings account deduction. Honestly, I was so relieved when I got the notice because I had been imagining much worse scenarios! A few things that really helped me get through the waiting period: - I called my medical providers (had some dental work bills) and explained the situation. Both offices were super understanding and gave me an extra 3 weeks to pay without any penalties - Set up text alerts from my bank so I'd know immediately when the deposit came through - Limited myself to checking the transcript once per day (usually right after my morning coffee) From everything I've seen in this community, the IRS has been processing these adjustments much faster this year. Most people are getting their DDD within a week of seeing those codes. The 971 notice requirement actually works in your favor - it means they have to tell you exactly what they changed, and it's usually something pretty minor. Try to stay positive! You're definitely in the final stretch, and those medical bills will get paid soon. The waiting is definitely the hardest part! š¤
@Dyllan Nantx Thank you so much for sharing your detailed timeline and experience! This is incredibly reassuring to read. I m'currently on day 2 since seeing my 826/971 codes and have been absolutely spiraling with worry about my medical bills. Your timeline gives me hope that I might see my DDD by early next week! The fact that your adjustment was only $156 and related to an HSA calculation error makes me feel so much better - I keep imagining they re'going to take thousands from my refund, but all the real examples people are sharing here are much more reasonable amounts. I m'definitely going to call my medical billing offices tomorrow and explain the tax refund situation. Hearing that you got 3 extra weeks from both providers without penalties is amazing - I had no idea they were typically so understanding about this kind of delay. I was honestly embarrassed to even consider asking, but you ve'convinced me it s'worth trying! The mobile banking alerts tip is something I m'setting up right now. I ve'been obsessively checking my account balance multiple times per day which is probably not helping my anxiety levels. Having automatic notifications will definitely be better for my sanity. Really appreciate you taking the time to break down your exact timeline with specific days - it s'so much more helpful than generic timeframes! Crossing my fingers I ll'have good news to report back here in a few days! š
I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Just got my 826/971 codes yesterday morning and have been checking my transcript obsessively ever since (I know it doesn't help but I can't stop myself!). Reading through everyone's experiences here is honestly such a relief - I was convinced something catastrophic had happened to my return. Like you, I'm dealing with medical expenses that are piling up (emergency room visit last month that insurance only partially covered) and was really counting on this refund. The anxiety of not knowing what they adjusted or how much is taking is driving me crazy! But seeing all these timelines where people got their DDD within 5-10 days is giving me hope. It sounds like the IRS is actually moving pretty fast on these adjustments this year compared to the horror stories from previous years. Most of the adjustment amounts people are sharing seem way less scary than what I was imagining too. I'm definitely going to try calling my medical billing office tomorrow to explain the tax refund delay - I never would have thought of that but hearing multiple people got extensions makes it seem totally worth trying. And setting up those mobile banking alerts is a great idea! Hang in there Alice! From everything I'm reading here, we should both hopefully see some movement on our transcripts within the next few days. This waiting game is brutal but it sounds like we're almost through it! š¤
@Tony Brooks I m'in the exact same boat as you! Got my 826/971 codes this morning and immediately came here looking for answers because I was starting to panic. It s'so reassuring to see I m'not the only one going through this right now - reading everyone s'timelines has honestly been the best thing for my anxiety today. The fact that most people are seeing their DDD within a week and the adjustments are usually pretty small amounts is giving me so much hope. I m'also dealing with medical bills physical (therapy from a car accident and) was getting really stressed about the timing. Definitely going to call my PT clinic tomorrow and see if they ll'give me some extra time - I had no idea that was even an option! The obsessive transcript checking is so real though - I ve'probably refreshed it 20 times today even though I know it s'pointless š . Here s'hoping we both get good news soon!
9 weeks since verification? Call them! Your supposed to see movement after 8 weeks if nothing changed
been trying but cant get thru š keeps saying call volume too high
Same thing happened to me last year! The wording change from "still being processed" to "being processed" usually means they've moved past whatever was holding it up and are actually working on your case now. Since you did ID verification 9 weeks ago, you're definitely overdue - that should only take 6-9 weeks max. I'd keep checking your transcripts daily and maybe try calling early morning around 7am when the phone lines aren't as busy. Hang in there!
One thing nobody's mentioned yet - there's an opportunity cost to giving the IRS an interest-free loan. If you apply your $3200 refund to next year, that's money that could be: - Invested in your business equipment - Put in a high-yield savings account (currently 4-5%) - Used to pay down business debt - Covering operating expenses during slow months I've been running my small consulting business for 8 years and I ALWAYS take the refund now, then set up automatic transfers of 25% of my income to a separate tax account. This gives me both the cash flow benefit AND peace of mind for quarterly payments.
Do you ever worry about forgetting to make those quarterly payments? That's my biggest fear - getting hit with penalties because life got busy and I missed a payment date.
I set up calendar reminders for all four quarterly tax payment deadlines (April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15) with alerts two weeks before each one. I actually have a separate checking account just for taxes and transfer money there with each invoice payment. You can also use the IRS Direct Pay system to schedule payments in advance if you're worried about forgetting. The penalties aren't massive if you miss by a little bit, but they do add up over time. The peace of mind from having a system is definitely worth the small amount of setup time.
Another consideration that helped me decide: your first year business profits are often not a good predictor of your second year. My first year refund was large because I over-withheld, being cautious. But my second year had way different income patterns. If I'd applied my first year refund to my second year, it would have been way too much for Q1 and not enough for the rest of the year when my business grew. Taking the refund and then making estimated payments based on actual quarterly income worked MUCH better.
This has been such an incredibly informative discussion! I'm actually in a somewhat similar boat - I have about $30k in a traditional IRA from an old job and roughly $25k in capital losses from some unfortunate investment decisions this year. What really stands out to me from reading through everyone's experiences is how much the timing and strategy matter. The partial conversion approach that several people have mentioned seems like the smart play, especially when you factor in the RMD avoidance benefits and potential for higher future tax rates. I'm particularly interested in the early-year conversion timing that Ellie mentioned. That flexibility to adjust withholdings throughout the year could be huge for avoiding estimated tax payment issues. Has anyone here tried doing conversions in Q1 versus later in the year? I'm curious about the practical differences in tax planning. Also, the point about tax software struggling with these scenarios is making me think I should budget for professional tax help this year rather than trying to navigate this complexity on my own. Sometimes the peace of mind is worth the extra cost, especially when dealing with these kinds of multi-faceted tax situations. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed experiences - this is exactly the kind of real-world insight that's hard to find elsewhere!
Welcome to the community! Your situation sounds really similar to what many of us have been dealing with. I'm actually just getting started with understanding all these tax implications myself, but reading through this thread has been incredibly educational. The timing aspect you mentioned really caught my attention too. I hadn't considered how doing conversions early in the year could give you more flexibility with withholdings - that seems like such a practical advantage that's easy to overlook when you're focused on the bigger tax picture. Your point about budgeting for professional help resonates with me as well. I was initially trying to figure this all out on my own, but the complexity of how capital losses interact with retirement conversions seems like it might be worth getting expert guidance. Sometimes the cost of professional advice is small compared to the potential cost of making mistakes on something this significant. Looking forward to learning more from everyone's experiences as I navigate my own similar situation!
I've been following this discussion with great interest as someone who's been through a similar situation. One aspect I haven't seen mentioned yet is the importance of considering your state tax implications as well. When I did my traditional to Roth conversion last year with capital losses, I focused so much on the federal tax picture that I almost overlooked how my state handles these transactions. Some states don't conform to federal tax treatment of retirement conversions or capital loss carryforwards, which can create additional complexity. Also, if you're planning to move to a different state in retirement (especially from a high-tax state to a no-tax or low-tax state), that could factor into your conversion timing strategy. Converting while you're still in a high-tax state means you pay both federal and state taxes now, but if you move to Florida or Texas later, your future withdrawals would be completely tax-free. Just wanted to add this consideration to the mix since it can significantly impact the overall math of whether to convert now or wait. The combination of capital losses, federal tax planning, AND state tax strategy can really optimize your long-term outcome if you think it through comprehensively.
Collins Angel
heads up tho make sure ur account number is correct on ur return. saw ppl get delayed bc of that
0 coins
Dyllan Nantx
ā¢double checked and its all good!
0 coins
Ethan Clark
Same here with Navy Fed and 2/22 DDD! Based on past years, they usually drop refunds around 12-3 AM EST the day before your DDD. So we should see something by Thursday night/Friday morning. Their mobile app notifications are pretty good too if you have those turned on - saves you from constantly checking!
0 coins