This thread has been incredibly enlightening! As a newcomer to the US tax system, I'm amazed by the level of detail everyone has shared. Filed my Illinois return on February 14th and received my refund on March 8th - exactly 22 days. E-filed with direct deposit, had W-2 income plus some small freelance payments on 1099-MISC. The mytax.illinois.gov portal showed "being processed" for 19 days, then switched to "refund approved" and the deposit appeared 2 business days later. What struck me most was how the Illinois system feels more "black box" compared to what I expected from government services - you really do just have to trust the process and wait. But seeing everyone's data points clustering around that 20-25 day range regardless of income complexity is actually quite reassuring. The predictability is there, even if the transparency isn't. Coming from a different tax system, I initially found the limited status updates frustrating, but now I see it might actually reduce anxiety compared to obsessively checking for micro-updates. Thanks Jordan for starting this data collection - it's exactly what newcomers need to understand these state-specific processing patterns!

This has been such an informative thread! As a newcomer to the US tax system, I'm really grateful for all the detailed data everyone has shared. I filed my Illinois return on March 3rd and just received my refund yesterday (March 26th) - so 23 days total. E-filed with direct deposit, had W-2 income plus some investment income from a 1099-INT. The mytax.illinois.gov portal showed "being processed" for about 20 days, then switched to "refund approved" on Monday and the deposit hit my account Wednesday morning. What's fascinating is how this falls right into that 20-25 day pattern everyone has identified, regardless of having the additional 1099-INT income. Coming from a different country's tax system, I was initially frustrated by the limited status updates compared to what I expected from government digital services. But seeing this consistent processing timeline across everyone's experiences - from simple W-2 returns to those with rental income, freelance payments, and investments - is actually quite reassuring. The predictability is definitely there, even if the transparency isn't what we might expect. Jordan, your data collection has been incredibly valuable for understanding these state-specific processing patterns. It's exactly the kind of practical information newcomers need to set proper expectations and realize that "being processed" for 3 weeks doesn't mean something's wrong!

These codes usually mean theyre doing final verification. My taxes were stuck here for like 3 days then boom, got my DDD

I see a lot of people mentioning taxr.ai here - just wanted to add that I tried it last week when I was confused about my codes and it was honestly a game changer! For just $1 it gave me a detailed breakdown of exactly what was happening with my return and even predicted when I'd get my refund (which ended up being spot on). Way better than spending hours trying to decode everything myself. The 570/571 combo you have is actually pretty standard - usually means they're just doing final checks and you should see movement soon 🤞

Congrats on seeing the 846 code! That's definitely the light at the end of the tunnel. I've been through this process a few times and can confirm what others are saying - once you see 846, you're basically guaranteed to get your refund within 1-5 business days. In my experience, most direct deposits hit around 2-3 AM, so check your account first thing Monday morning. The date on your transcript (03/22) is more of a "by this date" rather than an exact date, so you might even see it earlier. Just make sure your banking info is exactly what you put on your return - I learned that the hard way one year when a small name variation caused a rejection. But assuming everything matches, you should be golden! The hardest part is definitely the waiting game once you know it's coming.

This thread is so helpful! I just checked my transcript after seeing this post and found code 846 with a date of 03/24/2024. I've been waiting for my refund for almost 8 weeks now, so seeing that code finally appear is such a relief. Based on everyone's experiences here, it sounds like I should expect the direct deposit within the next few days. I'm with Bank of America - has anyone had experience with how quickly they process IRS refund deposits? I'm trying not to get my hopes up too high, but after all this waiting, I'm cautiously optimistic that this nightmare is almost over!

One detail nobody's mentioned: if you don't report your cash tips to your employer and just report them on your tax return later, you'll end up paying the full 15.3% FICA tax yourself (that's Social Security and Medicare). When you report to your employer, they pay half of that. So it's actually cheaper for you to report properly!

Just wanted to add something important that might help - make sure you understand the $20 monthly threshold rule. If you receive less than $20 in tips in any given month, you don't have to report those to your employer (but you still need to report them on your tax return). However, if you're making $50-100 per night like you mentioned, you're definitely way over that threshold and need to report to your employer. Also, keep in mind that "tips" includes more than just cash - if customers tip you through credit cards, apps, or even give you non-cash items of value, all of that counts as taxable tip income. Your employer should already be handling the electronic tips properly, but make sure you're tracking everything else. The IRS actually has a free publication (Publication 531) that explains all the tip reporting rules in detail. Worth reading through if you want to make sure you're doing everything by the book!

22 Just an FYI - I called the EFTPS customer service line (not the IRS) at 1-800-555-4477 and they were able to tell me exactly which form to select for my CP128. Only took about 10 minutes on hold. Sometimes the EFTPS folks are more helpful than the IRS for these specific payment questions.

I've been through this exact situation with a CP128 notice last year. The key thing that finally worked for me was calling the EFTPS helpline directly at 1-800-555-4477 rather than trying to reach the IRS. They walked me through the correct form selection based on what type of tax the penalty was related to. For my situation (employment tax penalty), I had to select Form 941, but the EFTPS rep emphasized that it really depends on the underlying tax type shown on your CP128 notice. They also told me to include three things in the comments: the CP128 notice number, the tax period, and my EIN. The payment posted correctly within a few business days, and I received confirmation that it was applied to the right penalty. Much easier than the hours I spent on hold with the IRS!