I filed mine electronically on January 28th and just got my direct deposit yesterday! So about 4 weeks total. The MN website tracker was pretty accurate - it showed "processing" for most of the time then switched to "approved" about 3 days before the money hit my account. Hang in there, electronic filers usually get theirs within that 3-4 week window!

Filed mine electronically on Jan 30th and still waiting too! The MN website just says "processing" with no other details. Starting to get a bit worried since it's been over 4 weeks now. Has anyone had theirs take longer than the typical 3-4 week timeframe for e-filing? Wondering if there are delays this year or if I should be concerned about an issue with my return.

I'm new to this community and just went through this exact same situation last month! I had a 971 code dated August 15th and then an 846 code with August 22nd as my refund date. I was absolutely terrified that something was wrong, especially since I really needed that money for some emergency expenses. Reading through all these responses is bringing back memories of how stressed I was! But I'm happy to report that I got my refund exactly on the 846 date - August 22nd, just as promised. The notice (971) arrived in my mailbox about a week later and it was just informing me that they had corrected a small error on my return that actually worked in my favor. As a newcomer who's been through this, I can say with confidence that the pattern of 971 followed by 846 really does seem to be good news, not bad news. The fact that your 846 is dated after your 971 means they resolved whatever the notice was about and then approved your refund. September 9th should definitely be your day! This community has been such a great resource for understanding these confusing codes. Welcome to anyone else who's new here - the support and shared experiences really make all the difference when you're trying to decode IRS transcripts!

I'm completely new to this community and just discovered this thread while desperately trying to figure out what my transcript codes mean! I have the exact same situation - 971 code from last week followed by an 846 code with a refund date of September 15th. I've been absolutely panicking thinking something was wrong with my return. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a huge relief! It's incredible how helpful and supportive this community is. As a newcomer, I really appreciate how people are sharing their actual experiences rather than just guessing. The consensus that 971→846 is actually a GOOD pattern and not something to worry about is exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you to everyone who took the time to explain their situations - it makes such a difference for those of us who are new to decoding these mysterious IRS codes. This community is definitely going to be my go-to resource for tax questions going forward!

This is amazing news! I've been dreading calling about my quarterly estimated tax payments for my freelance work, but your experience gives me hope. I remember calling in 2023 about a similar issue and waiting over 90 minutes just to be told I needed to call a different department. Then I had to wait another hour to get transferred to the right person. If they've really improved their staffing and processes this much, it would be a game-changer for small business owners like me who need to contact them regularly. I'm definitely going to try calling this week - fingers crossed I have a similar experience!

Wow, this is really encouraging to hear! I've been putting off calling about a question regarding my dependent care FSA contribution limits because I was dreading the typical IRS hold time nightmare. Your 2-minute wait experience is giving me serious hope that maybe they've actually turned things around. I remember in 2022 I waited almost 3 hours about a simple address change and nearly gave up twice. If this improved service is consistent, it would be such a relief for taxpayers who need quick answers during filing season. I think I'll finally bite the bullet and call them tomorrow morning about my FSA question. Thanks for sharing this positive experience - it's exactly the motivation I needed!

Just want to add - KEEP GOOD RECORDS of everything! Create a simple spreadsheet tracking: - Exact dates/times you babysit - All payments received - Any expenses related to childcare - Portion of your home used for childcare - Photos of areas used for childcare - Receipts for anything you buy for childcare The IRS loves to audit self-employed people with cash businesses, and childcare is definitely on their radar. Good records are your best defense if you ever get questioned!

Great advice from everyone here! I'm a tax preparer and just wanted to add a few quick clarifications: 1. Yes, you absolutely need to report this income - the $400 threshold for self-employment tax applies to you. 2. For home deductions, you can use either the simplified method ($5 per square foot up to 300 sq ft) or actual expense method. Given that you're only babysitting part-time, the simplified method might be easier. 3. Document everything NOW - create that spreadsheet Oliver mentioned and go back through your Zelle history to reconstruct the dates/amounts. The IRS allows reasonable reconstruction of records. 4. Consider setting aside about 25-30% of future payments for taxes (income tax + self-employment tax). This will help avoid a surprise bill next year. Your sister doesn't need to do anything on her end since this is a personal expense for her, not a business deduction. You're handling this correctly by taking full responsibility for reporting the income yourself!

Eight days is completely normal! I went through the same anxiety last year when I filed on April 13th. Mine took 11 days to get accepted and I was refreshing the Where's My Refund page constantly thinking something was wrong. The key thing to remember is that "received" just means the IRS got your electronic filing, but "accepted" means they've actually started processing it and verified there are no obvious errors. During peak filing season (especially that last week before the deadline), they get absolutely slammed and everything takes longer. Since you filed through TurboTax electronically, you're in good shape. Paper returns can take months, but e-filed returns like yours typically get processed much faster once they're actually accepted. Just keep checking once a day - the system updates overnight so checking more often won't show anything new. If you hit the 21-day mark from acceptance (not from filing) with no refund, then you can start looking into it. But for now, you're right on track for normal processing times. Hang in there!

Don't stress too much! Eight days is definitely within the normal range, especially since you filed so close to the deadline when the IRS is processing millions of returns. I filed on April 11th this year and it took 10 days to get accepted, then my refund came exactly 7 days after that. The difference between "received" and "accepted" confused me too at first. "Received" just means the IRS got your electronic filing, but "accepted" means they've done their initial review and everything looks good to move forward. During peak season like this, that acceptance step can take anywhere from a few days to 2+ weeks. Since you used TurboTax and filed electronically, you're in much better shape than people who filed paper returns (those can take months). The IRS Where's My Refund tool only updates once per day overnight, so checking constantly won't show new info - learned that the hard way last year! If you want some peace of mind, you could check your tax transcript on the IRS website. It sometimes shows more detailed status info than the Where's My Refund tool. But honestly, I'd just give it another week or so before worrying. You're well within normal processing times.