im still waiting on my 2021 return lololol welcome to the club

I feel your pain! Same thing happened to me last year - mailed my return and it sat at "Return Received" for literally 4 months before moving to "Approved." The worst part is there's basically nothing you can do except wait it out. Calling the IRS is pretty much useless unless it's been over a year, they'll just tell you to keep waiting. The good news is that once it finally moves to "Approved" the refund usually comes within a week or two after that. Hang in there!

I've been following this thread and wanted to share my experience since I just went through something very similar! Filed in early March, got the acceptance confirmation, then radio silence for weeks with that same "no record of processed return" message. What finally worked for me was a combination of the advice I'm seeing here. First, I called my tax preparer (FreeTaxUSA) and they confirmed the transmission was successful on their end. Then I tried calling the IRS for days with no luck getting through. Eventually I broke down and used one of those callback services that several people mentioned - got connected to an actual IRS agent within an hour. Turns out my return was flagged because one of my employers had submitted a corrected W-2 after I filed, creating a mismatch in their system. The agent was able to see this immediately and released my return right there on the call. The whole thing was resolved within a week after that phone call, and I got my refund about 10 days later. The key was actually talking to someone who could look at my specific case rather than just waiting and wondering. @Madison Tipne - since you're already at 7+ weeks, I'd definitely recommend being proactive about calling rather than waiting much longer. That verification letter you got is actually pretty normal when returns are stuck, but you deserve to know exactly what's causing the delay at this point!

I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation! Filed on 3/20, got accepted immediately, and now it's been over 8 weeks with that same "no record of processed return" letter showing up on my wage and income transcript. Like you, 2024 isn't even showing as an option for my account transcript yet. After reading through all these responses, I'm realizing this is way more common than I thought. It sounds like the letter itself isn't necessarily bad news - it just means our returns are stuck somewhere in the processing pipeline. The fact that we both got acceptance confirmations is reassuring since that means the IRS definitely has our returns. I think I'm going to follow the advice here and start by calling my tax preparer (TurboTax) to make sure there wasn't a transmission error, then try the early morning IRS calling strategy. If that doesn't work, those callback services that multiple people mentioned sound like they might be worth trying. The waiting is absolutely maddening, but it's helpful to know we're not alone in this! Hopefully we both get some answers soon and can put this stress behind us.

Great question! I went through this exact same situation last year. You're absolutely allowed to use two different EFINs in the same tax year - it's actually pretty common for tax professionals who work for firms but also do some independent preparation work. For the income reporting, yes, anything you earn using your personal EFIN should be reported as self-employment income on Schedule C. Make sure to track all your business expenses like software costs, office supplies, and if you're working from home, potentially home office deductions. One thing I'd add that others haven't mentioned - consider getting your own errors and omissions (E&O) insurance for your personal EFIN work. Your employer's insurance likely won't cover returns you file independently. Also, keep really good records separating your two practices - separate client files, separate banking if possible, and clear engagement letters so there's no confusion about which capacity you're working in. The IRS actually expects this kind of arrangement and has procedures in place for it. Just make sure you're not violating any employment agreements with your firm!

Adding to what others have said about the dual EFIN setup - you're definitely good to go from a compliance standpoint. I've been doing this for about 3 years now (working at H&R Block during the day, personal EFIN for evenings/weekends) and have never had any issues with the IRS. One practical tip that's helped me a lot: set up completely different workflows for your two practices. I use different intake forms, different client management systems, and even different physical spaces in my home office. This makes it crystal clear which "hat" I'm wearing for each client and helps avoid any potential conflicts or confusion. Also, don't underestimate the time commitment for your personal practice. Between client meetings, return preparation, and all the administrative stuff (invoicing, follow-ups, etc.), it adds up quickly. I started with just a few family members and friends, but word spreads fast once you do good work. Make sure you're prepared to scale up your systems if demand grows!

That's a really interesting observation about the EITC connection! I've been wondering about the patterns myself. The IRS does tend to scrutinize EITC claims more heavily since it's one of the most commonly exploited credits for fraudulent refunds. It makes sense they'd proactively add identity theft protection to accounts that claim it. I claimed EITC this year too and got my CP01E about 3 weeks after filing. My tax preparer mentioned that the IRS has been ramping up their fraud prevention efforts, especially around refundable credits. So while it might feel targeted, it's probably just them being extra cautious with returns that historically have higher fraud rates. The good news is that legitimate EITC claims shouldn't be delayed by the CP01E - it's just an extra layer of account protection moving forward.

I wanted to follow up on your original question about the CP01E notice and your refund timing. Based on all the helpful responses here, it sounds like you can breathe easy! The notice is actually the IRS looking out for you, not delaying your refund. Since you filed on February 12th through TaxSlayer, you should still expect your refund within the normal 21-day processing window (assuming no other issues with your return). The CP01E is completely separate from refund processing - it's just adding a protective flag to your account for future filings. Your switch to online filing definitely didn't trigger this notice. The IRS uses much more complex data analysis to identify potential identity theft risks, and honestly, online filing is often more secure than paper filing anyway. I'd recommend taking up the suggestion about getting an IP PIN for next year's filing - it's free extra security that you can set up right now through your IRS online account. And definitely keep monitoring your credit reports as suggested, but don't stress about the refund timing. You should see that money for your car repairs right on schedule!

I've noticed that sometimes the deductions go up when I work overtime - is that normal? Does overtime get taxed at a higher rate? I worked 12 extra hours last pay period and my deductions were almost double!

The $95 increase could also be related to hitting certain income thresholds during the year. For example, if you've reached the Social Security wage base limit ($160,200 for 2023), your SS deductions would stop, but if you haven't hit that yet and got a raise or bonus, your SS and Medicare withholdings would increase proportionally. Another thing to check - did you recently change your W-4 form? Even small changes like going from 2 allowances to 1 can significantly impact your federal withholding. Also, some companies do "catch-up" withholding if they discover they've been under-withholding earlier in the year. For budgeting purposes, you can use the IRS withholding calculator online to estimate what your deductions should be and adjust your W-4 if needed. Just remember that while higher withholdings mean less take-home pay now, they also mean a bigger refund (or smaller amount owed) when you file your taxes.