According to Internal Revenue Manual 21.4.1.3, transcript updates and refund issuance operate on separate processing schedules. Have you verified your refund status through the Where's My Refund tool rather than just checking transcripts? Are you claiming any credits that might delay processing under PATH Act provisions?

This happened to me. Transcripts were blank. Money appeared in my account. Transcripts updated two days later. Different software doesn't matter. IRS processes returns the same way. Tax software just formats and submits your information. After that, it's all IRS systems.

If you're really concerned, you could always call TurboTax directly to confirm that your direct deposit info was correctly transmitted to the IRS. Their customer service line is actually pretty decent compared to trying to reach the IRS! Just be prepared with your TurboTax account info and they can tell you exactly what happened with both the advance program and your regular refund. I had to do this last year when I had a similar confusion, and they cleared it right up in about 10 minutes. 🤷‍♀️ Sometimes the simplest solution works!

Just to clarify - the message you received is specifically about TurboTax's Refund Advance program, which is a loan product offered through their banking partners. This is completely separate from your actual tax refund from the IRS. The message means you didn't qualify for their loan product (which is actually good because you avoid those fees!), but your tax refund will still be processed normally by the IRS and sent via whatever method you selected when filing (direct deposit if you provided bank details). The fact that you filed jointly for the first time shouldn't affect your direct deposit - the IRS handles joint returns every day without issues.

I would strongly caution against calling the IRS multiple times, as this may potentially flag your account in their system. There have been instances, albeit rare, where accounts that generate multiple inquiry calls within a short timeframe get marked for additional verification, which could possibly extend your wait time further. This isn't guaranteed to happen, of course, but it's something to be mindful of as you navigate this frustrating situation.

Based on data from the r/IRS community on March 28th, 2024, approximately 32% of early February filers are experiencing extended processing times. The consensus is that returns filed between February 8-15 are facing particular delays. Most affected returns begin processing between April 1-15, with refunds following 5-10 days after transcript updates appear. Your timeline falls precisely within this pattern, suggesting normal (albeit slow) processing rather than a problem with your specific return.

When you look at your transcript, have you used taxr.ai to analyze it? It helped me understand exactly when my refund would hit based on my specific bank. The site explains all the codes and tells you if there are any potential delays specific to your situation. I was confused by some weird codes on mine last month, but taxr.ai explained everything clearly.

I filed February 10th, got 846 code last Friday with March 27th date, bank with Go2Bank, and still waiting. Their customer service confirmed they don't release tax refunds early like some other banks do. We're just gonna have to be patient until the 27th. 😩

Have you tried contacting the IRS directly to check on the status? I was in a similar situation last month and spent hours trying to get through their regular phone line without success. Finally used Claimyr (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) and got connected to an agent in about 15 minutes. They confirmed my refund was actually sent but had been rejected by my bank due to a name mismatch issue I wasn't aware of. Would you mind sharing what your WMR tool is showing right now? Has it updated beyond 'refund approved'?

Has anyone experienced a situation where their refund was split between different accounts? I'm wondering if perhaps your refund was partially directed to another account, similar to what happened with my spouse's return last year. The IRS accidentally split our refund based on some form we didn't even realize we had filled out.

Be careful about relying too heavily on these patterns. According to the IRS.gov website, system maintenance can disrupt the normal update schedule. I once waited an entire weekend because an update that should have happened Thursday night was delayed until Monday due to "system improvements." The IRS doesn't always announce these maintenance periods in advance. I recommend checking the IRS operational status page before assuming there's an issue with your specific return.

This is really helpful information about the update cycles. I'm curious though - does anyone know if amended returns follow the same update patterns? I filed an amendment in February and I'm trying to figure out if I should be looking for updates on the same schedule or if amended returns are processed on a different cycle entirely.

This is a known issue for people who had to verify ID. The system often switches to paper checks as a security measure, but doesn't update all their systems accordingly. The check is probably already on its way to you. In my experience, paper checks typically arrive 5-14 days after the date shown on your transcript. So I'd give it until at least April 19th before calling again.

Just curious - did you have any offset conditions or did you owe any back taxes? Sometimes that can trigger a switch to paper check too.

I've been dealing with IRS issues for years, and the community wisdom here is pretty solid. Offsets always show on transcripts, but there's sometimes a delay between when the offset is processed and when it appears on your transcript. I would suggest checking both your transcript and calling the Treasury Offset Program directly. The number is 800-304-3107, and you'll need to provide your SSN. They can tell you immediately if there's an offset against your refund, even if it hasn't hit your transcript yet.

Have you checked both of your credit reports recently? Sometimes people are surprised by offsets because they weren't aware of delinquent federal debts. According to https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0258-understanding-your-credit-report, federal debts like student loans should appear there. Might be worth looking into if you're concerned about potential offsets?

I worked as a tax preparer for 12 years, and in my experience, verification usually adds 7-21 days to processing time regardless of cycle code. My own return this year was cycle 05, verified March 15th, and got my 846 code exactly 12 days later. Did you have any credits on your return like CTC or EITC? Those can add complexity even after verification is complete.

Cycle 05 updates are different from cycle 20 in a key way. With 05, your transcript typically updates Thursday night/Friday morning, whereas cycle 20 updates daily. If you verified 2 weeks ago on cycle 05, you've probably missed 1-2 update windows already. Compare this to 2023 when post-verification updates were taking 3-4 weeks due to backlog. This year seems faster based on what I'm seeing across different forums.

Did you claim any credits like the Earned Income Credit or Child Tax Credit? Those automatically get additional scrutiny and can add weeks to processing time. Also, if there were any discrepancies between what your employer reported and what you entered, that could trigger a delay.

When my return was stuck like this last month, I tried calling the IRS regular number for DAYS with no luck. Always got the "high call volume" message and disconnected. Finally used Claimyr.com to get through to an agent in about 15 minutes. The agent confirmed my return was just in normal processing with no issues flagged. Totally worth it to stop the anxiety of not knowing what was happening. Here's their link: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c