Tax professional here. Let me clarify a few things about babysitting income: • All income is taxable regardless of whether you receive a form • Self-employment tax applies if you earn $400+ in a year • You can deduct legitimate business expenses • Keep records of all income and expenses • Consider making quarterly estimated tax payments • If you work regularly for one family, they might need to consider you a household employee The IRS has specific guidelines for household employees vs. independent contractors. This distinction affects both your tax obligations and those of the family you work for.

I'm seeing some confusing info here! There's a big difference between being a household employee vs. self-employed babysitter! If you work regularly in someone's home and they control when and how you work, you might actually be their employee and THEY should be paying employment taxes! Don't just assume you're self-employed without checking the actual IRS guidelines on this. Many families incorrectly classify nannies/babysitters to avoid payroll taxes.

Back in 2022, I had this exact scenario. My WMR showed processing for 3 weeks while my transcript showed nothing. Then suddenly my transcript updated with a 570 code (additional account action pending) followed by a 571 (resolved) the next day. My refund was deposited exactly 8 days after the transcript first updated. The IRS processing pipeline has multiple stages, and the transcript database is just one of several systems that need to sync up.

According to Internal Revenue Manual 21.4.1.3, the Transcript Delivery System (TDS) and the Where's My Refund tool pull from different databases that update on different schedules. The WMR tool updates from the Master File and ISRP systems, while transcripts are generated from the IDRS. During peak filing season, these systems can be 3-5 business days out of sync with each other. It's frustrating but unfortunately completely normal.

I went through this exact situation last year. My state refund was offset for an old parking ticket I didn't even know about! I learned that most states have partnerships with multiple agencies - not just their own departments. My brother had his offset for child support even though he was current on payments - turned out to be a clerical error. The key is persistence. When I finally reached someone who could help, they explained the entire process and even helped me file for a partial refund since the debt amount was calculated incorrectly. Don't give up - there's almost always a resolution path.

State offset procedures are much more complicated than federal ones. In federal cases, the TOP system is centralized, but states often have fragmented systems spread across different departments. My state refund was offset for a university tuition balance from 10 years ago, while my cousin's was taken for unpaid tolls. If you compare this to how federal offsets work, states have much less transparency. You should also check if your state participates in the State Reciprocal Program, which allows them to collect debts you owe to OTHER states as well. I'm concerned this might become more common as states share more data with each other.

I successfully navigated this exact situation last year! I discovered I was enrolled in Tax Max through my employer without fully understanding what I signed. After some initial panic, I called my HR department who connected me with our Tax Max representative. I explained I wanted to receive my refund directly and they provided a form to opt-out for future years. For that tax year, I filed my return through a different tax preparer (not the one associated with Tax Max) and simply entered my own bank information on my tax return. The IRS used the direct deposit info from my tax return, not what was on my W2. My refund came directly to me with no issues or delays!

Did you check if there was a refund advance option you might have signed up for during onboarding? Sometimes these services offer to give you part of your refund early, but they change your direct deposit info to get paid back. Did you get any money already before filing your taxes?

According to Internal Revenue Manual 21.5.6.4.35.3, identity verification resolution typically completes processing within 9 business days. The removal of the verification notice from your account indicates successful authentication per IRM 3.13.5.30. For cycle code 05 accounts, the main processing occurs Wednesday nights, with transcript visibility by Thursday morning. Your timing aligns perfectly with standard processing parameters for post-verification returns.

I just went through this exact thing. Verification notice disappeared Monday, transcript updated Thursday morning at 3am with all codes and a DDD for the following Wednesday. Money hit my account exactly on that date. No more blank transcript! Hang in there.

I had this happen last year and got SO excited when I saw my DDD... but then my bank rejected the deposit because the name on my tax return didn't exactly match my bank account (I had gotten married and changed my name with SSA but not my bank yet). Had to wait another 6 weeks for a paper check! Just sharing so you make sure your banking info is all correct and updated!

I had these same codes in February - took about 10 days between seeing them and getting my DDD. Felt like the longest 10 days ever since I needed that money for rent! Did your WMR status bar disappear during this time too? Mine did, which made me even more anxious, but everything worked out fine in the end.

Just to add some perspective - I filed with TurboTax on February 12th, got the "accepted" email about 30 minutes later, and then waited 5 weeks for my refund. The Where's My Refund tool was stuck on "processing" the whole time with no updates. I finally called the IRS using Claimyr (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) and found out there was a minor verification hold that resolved itself a few days later. Got my refund the following week.

My return was accepted within minutes too, but then sat in processing for 3 weeks. The WMR tool never updated past the first bar, but my refund suddenly appeared in my account one morning. The system is weird like that sometimes.

Be careful about ignoring the IP PIN requirement! I filed without my IP PIN last year thinking it was optional, and it triggered a full-blown identity verification process that delayed my refund by 120 days. The IRS system automatically flags returns with missing or incorrect IP PINs for manual review due to potential identity theft concerns. If you did use your IP PIN correctly when filing, the blank transcript with cycle code 0405 likely indicates your return is in the verification queue, which is a normal but unfortunately slow process during peak season.

Based on the cycle code 0405 and your filing date of February 3rd, your return would typically process on a Wednesday and update overnight. It's been exactly 71 days since you filed, which is longer than the standard 21-day processing window but not unusual for returns with IP PINs. The IRS statistics show that approximately 27% of returns with IP PINs experience processing delays of 6-8 weeks beyond normal timeframes. If you check your transcript again on Thursday morning (that's when the 0405 cycle updates), you might see movement. The blank transcript suggests your return is still in the verification stage rather than being rejected or having an error.

I'm not entirely convinced these online tools are necessary... The IRS has their own transcript tool that shows the same codes, and there are free forums where people explain what the codes mean. I've heard mixed reviews about these third-party services - sometimes they just tell you what you already know from looking at your transcript yourself. Have you tried just requesting your transcript directly from the IRS website and checking for any hold codes?

Gotta disagree w/ previous commenter! Time = money w/ tax issues. Sure, u can DIY everything if u have endless hrs to research tax codes & decipher transcript jargon. But w/ ur Apr 30 deadline looming, u need answers NOW. I spent 3 wks trying to figure out my transcript b4 giving up & using help. Solved in 10 mins what I couldn't in 3 wks. Sometimes paying a little saves a lot. Esp w/ divorce docs on the line!

Think of tax credits like money in a bank account - just because the bank is slow to process your withdrawal doesn't mean the money isn't yours. The IRS works the same way. Your credits are like funds already allocated to you, and processing delays are just administrative holdups. I was in your exact shoes last April - return stuck for 9 weeks, worried about missing out on credits. When it finally processed, every cent I was entitled to was included in my refund.

Have you checked your tax transcript online? It might show processing codes that explain the delay. Sometimes returns with credits need additional verification, which can add 4-8 weeks to processing time. The transcript usually updates before the Where's My Refund tool does.