I would probably advise checking your tax transcript if you can access it online. The transcript might show codes like 570 (refund hold) and 971 (notice issued), which could indicate what's happening. In my experience working with clients, the errors department often deals with relatively minor issues that might not even require your input to resolve. That said, I've seen cases where returns got stuck there for 10+ weeks during peak processing times, so it's good you're being proactive about checking on this.

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Filed in early February and just found out last week that my return is in the errors department. The IRS rep couldn't tell me specifically what triggered it, just that it needed "additional review." It's so frustrating not knowing what the issue is or how long it might take. I've been checking Where's My Refund obsessively but it just says "processing." Has anyone here had success getting more specific information about what caused their return to be flagged? I'm trying to figure out if there's something I should be doing on my end or if I just need to wait it out.

I'm not entirely sure, but you might want to consider contacting your local Taxpayer Advocate Service. They typically won't intervene until after the normal processing time has passed, which in your case it has. I believe they can sometimes help when there's a financial hardship involved, which it sounds like there might be with your childcare and car repair needs. It's possibly worth a try, though they're also facing backlogs of their own.

Wow, 10 weeks with no hold time is definitely a miracle! I'm currently at week 8 in errors myself and have been getting the busy signal for three days straight. One thing that might help while you wait - if you're facing financial hardship with the childcare and car repairs, you should definitely look into the Taxpayer Advocate Service like Amara mentioned. They have a specific hardship criteria and can sometimes expedite cases when there's a legitimate financial need. I'd also recommend documenting everything - dates you called, what representatives told you, your financial situation - just in case you need it later. The referral the agent sent is actually a good sign though, it means your case is getting some attention rather than just sitting in a queue. Fingers crossed you see movement before that May 28th date!

my parents pulled the same nonsense last year lol. they were mad cause they were losing like $1800 in tax benefits. but listen the rules r super clear - if ur 19+ and not a student, they CANNOT claim u as a qualifying child. period. and that "minor until 20/21" stuff is BS. even if that was true (its not), tax dependent status has specific rules that have nothing to do with state age of majority laws. don't let them pressure u into amending ur return when u filed correctly! they're just upset about losing the tax benefits they're used to getting. welcome to real adulting where u file ur own taxes and claim urself lol

I'm a tax preparer and I can confirm you filed correctly. Based on your situation - 19 years old, not a student, and earning $6,700 - your parents cannot claim you as a dependent under either test. The "qualifying child" test fails because you're 19 and not a full-time student. The "qualifying relative" test fails because your income exceeds the $4,700 threshold for 2024. Your mom's accountant either misunderstood the situation or your mom didn't give them complete information. The comment about Alabama's age of majority is irrelevant - federal tax law governs dependent status, not state age of majority laws. The $2,550 drop in your mom's refund is likely from losing the Child Tax Credit ($2,000) plus potential changes to her filing status if you were her only dependent. She might have to file as Single instead of Head of Household, which affects tax brackets and could impact other credits like the Earned Income Credit. I know it's tough dealing with family pressure, but don't amend your return. You filed correctly, and amending it would be filing false information. The IRS has systems to catch conflicting dependent claims, and both returns could face penalties if you both claim different statuses for the same person.

Hey, just wanted to mention that when I filed taxes for my savings bonds, I made the mistake of trying to pay separately. You actually just include the 1099-INT with your regular tax return. If you use software like TurboTax or FreeTaxUSA, they'll have a specific section for entering interest income. The software calculates everything and tells you if you owe more or get a refund based on your ENTIRE tax situation, not just the bonds.

Just to add another perspective - I had a similar situation with old savings bonds last year. One thing that really helped me was checking if my tax situation was simple enough to use the IRS Free File program. Since you mentioned you're new to taxes, if your income is under $79,000, you can use brand-name tax software completely free through the IRS website. I used it for my savings bond interest and it walked me through everything step by step, including where to enter the 1099-INT information. The software automatically calculated how the $568.75 would affect my overall tax liability and I could pay electronically right through the system. Saved me from having to figure out payment methods separately!

Have you tried checking your transcript instead? WMR isn't always accurate after adjustments. I discovered that 76% of adjusted returns get their refund within 14 days of leaving errors, while 24% take between 15-21 days. Only about 3% experience additional delays beyond that. The IRS has actually improved their processing time by 22% this year compared to last year for these types of adjustments.

I went through this exact same situation just two months ago! Filed early January, got stuck in errors for the Child Tax Credit issue, and was told I was out of errors on a Thursday. My transcript updated the following Tuesday with all the adjustment codes, and I had my direct deposit exactly 9 days after being told I was out of errors. The waiting is absolutely torture, especially when you have expenses planned around that money! One thing that helped me was setting up text alerts through my bank app so I'd know immediately when the deposit hit instead of obsessively checking my account balance. The IRS is actually pretty consistent with their 7-21 day timeline once you're out of errors - you should definitely see movement within the next week or two. Hang in there! 🤞