This is super helpful! One thing I'd add - TC 898 is another important one that means they applied a refund offset (like for back taxes, student loans, or child support). Also if you see TC 971 with reference number 131, that's usually the dreaded "we need to verify your identity" notice. Been there and it's a pain but just follow their instructions and you'll get through it eventually.

Great comprehensive breakdown! I'd also mention TC 806 (W-2 wage and tax statement) and TC 807 (additional W-2 wage and tax statement) - these show up when your employer files your W-2 info. And for anyone dealing with amended returns, TC 977 means they processed your 1040X. One more tip: if you see a TC 971 with reference number 012, that usually means they're doing additional review on your return (not necessarily bad, just taking longer). The cycle date next to these codes is key - that's when the action actually happened or will happen.

One thing nobody's mentioned - if you paid cash and have no receipts, you could try reaching out to the sellers to get some kind of written confirmation of the sale. Even a text message or email that confirms "Yes, I sold you a monitor for $1050 on [date]" could help document the transaction. Also, take pictures of the items with something showing the date (like a newspaper or your phone's date display). This won't prove what you paid, but at least confirms you actually have the items. I've been through an education expense audit before and having SOMETHING is always better than nothing!

Yes, Facebook Marketplace conversation history is actually excellent documentation! Screenshot those conversations showing the price negotiations and agreement - that's timestamped digital evidence of the transaction. I'd also suggest checking if you have any bank records showing cash withdrawals around the dates of these purchases. Even if you can't prove exactly what the cash was for, having withdrawals that match the amounts on the right dates adds credibility to your claims. For future reference, even private cash sales can be documented better by asking sellers to write a simple receipt on paper - just "Sold computer monitor to [your name] for $1050 on [date]" with their signature. Most people don't mind doing this if you ask nicely. The combination of Facebook messages, bank withdrawal records, and photos of the actual equipment should give you pretty solid documentation for your education expense claims.

mine shows received 2/1 but still processing... anyone else waiting this long?

Check for code 846 too - that's your refund date if approved. Also look at the cycle date (top right) which can give you clues about processing timeline. If you see any 570 or 971 codes those might indicate holds or additional review needed. The transcript can be confusing but those are the key codes to focus on!

Don't feel bad about the date confusion - I think we've all been there with IRS transcripts at some point! 😅 The whole system is honestly pretty counterintuitive when you first encounter it. Like everyone said, those "backwards" dates are completely normal - the IRS basically pre-processes your account info during their overnight batch runs, then stamps it with a response date. When you actually log in to view it later, that becomes your request date. So you're essentially viewing pre-processed data, hence why the response date comes before the request date. It's like the IRS prepared your transcript before you even knew you wanted it! Your refund processing will be totally unaffected by this timestamp quirk.

Welcome to the community! This exact same thing happened to me when I first started checking my transcripts - I thought there was some major system error and spent way too much time trying to figure out if I needed to contact someone about it. The overnight batch processing explanation that everyone's shared here is spot on. It's really one of those things that seems super confusing until someone breaks it down, then it makes perfect sense. The IRS essentially updates your account data automatically during their scheduled maintenance windows (usually overnight), and that creates the "response date" timestamp. Then whenever you actually log in to view your transcript - whether that's the next day or weeks later - that becomes your "request date." So you're always looking at data that was processed before you requested to see it. Totally normal and nothing that will impact your refund or account status!

This is a great question that I think a lot of people wonder about! To add to what others have said, there's one more scenario where you might see FICA-related adjustments - if you're a minister or work for a church. Religious workers sometimes have unique situations where they can elect out of Social Security coverage or have special withholding arrangements. Also, just wanted to emphasize what Sophie mentioned about the wage base limit. For 2024 (the tax year you're filing for), the Social Security wage base was $160,200. So if you had multiple employers and your total wages exceeded that amount, you definitely want to check if you overpaid Social Security tax. This is pretty common for people who switch jobs mid-year or work multiple high-paying positions. One thing that might help for future years - if you're consistently getting large refunds, it means you're essentially giving the government an interest-free loan all year. You could be putting that extra money into a high-yield savings account or investments instead. The IRS withholding calculator that others mentioned is really helpful for getting your withholding closer to what you'll actually owe.

Just to add another perspective - if you're in a situation where you're consistently getting large refunds, it might also be worth looking at your state withholding in addition to federal. Some states are more aggressive with their withholding tables than others, and you could be overwithholding at both levels. I found this out the hard way when I moved from a no-income-tax state to one with high state taxes. My employer's payroll system was automatically withholding way more state tax than I actually owed, even after I adjusted my federal W-4. Had to submit separate state withholding forms to get both my federal and state withholding dialed in properly. The good news is that once you get your withholding adjusted correctly, you'll see more money in each paycheck rather than waiting for a big refund. Just remember to review your withholding annually since tax laws and your personal situation can change from year to year.