The IRS needs to make these notices clearer smh. Even my tax guy was confused by some of these EIP messages

I had the exact same message show up on my account last year! It's basically just the IRS's way of saying they created a record in their system to track the stimulus payments, but like others said, it doesn't mean you owe anything or that you definitely got a payment. The confusing part is that "This message does not mean that you qualified for the payment" line - it's just their legal disclaimer. What you really need to do is check your actual account transcript or look at your 2021 tax return to see if you received any EIP payments that year. The system message is more about their internal bookkeeping than your actual tax situation.

Is there a way to check if someone has filed a fraudulent return using my info? I'm worried because my mail was stolen last month and it contained some tax documents.

This is such important information, especially with how sophisticated these scams have become! I work in cybersecurity and see these attacks constantly evolving. One thing I'd add is to be extra cautious about "urgent" language in any tax-related communications. Legitimate IRS correspondence gives you time to respond and doesn't create artificial urgency with threats of immediate consequences. Another red flag is when scammers ask you to "verify" information they should already have. The real IRS already has your SSN, address, and filing history - they won't ask you to confirm these details via email or phone. For anyone who thinks they might have been targeted, I recommend checking your credit reports regularly during tax season. You can get free reports from annualcreditreport.com (the only official site for free credit reports). Look for any accounts or activities you don't recognize, as tax identity theft often leads to other forms of fraud.

Just to clarify the timeline confusion mentioned above - if you started your sophomore year "last fall" (which would be fall 2024), you would only need to file Form 8843 for the 2024 tax year, which isn't due until June 15, 2025. So you're actually not late at all! However, if you meant fall 2023, then yes, you would have needed to file for 2023 by June 15, 2024, and you'd still need to file for 2024 by June 2025. Either way, don't stress too much. As others have mentioned, late filing of Form 8843 with no income rarely results in penalties. The IRS is generally understanding of international students who weren't aware of the requirement, especially for informational forms like this one.

I went through this exact same situation two years ago as an F-1 student from Germany! Filed my Form 8843 about 6 weeks late and was absolutely terrified about potential consequences. Here's what actually happened: absolutely nothing. No penalties, no letters from the IRS, no impact on my visa status or OPT application. The form is purely informational when you have no income, and the IRS seems to understand that international students often aren't aware of this requirement initially. Just make sure to file it ASAP and keep a copy for your records. I'd also recommend reaching out to your international student services office - they usually have great resources about tax requirements and can help ensure you don't miss anything else. Most universities also offer free tax prep assistance specifically for international students during tax season. You're going to be fine! This is way more common than you think.

I was in EXACTLY this situation with Woodforest on my Tax Year 2023 refund. The IRS Refund Status portal showed "sent" but nothing in my account. Called the specialized direct deposit verification line at the IRS (different from the general helpline) and they confirmed the ACH transfer had been successfully transmitted to Woodforest's routing number. When I provided this information to Woodforest's customer service, they "discovered" my deposit was in their verification queue. Magically appeared in my account 4 hours after that call. Sometimes you need to push both ends of the transaction to get results.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now! Filed on 2/28 with direct deposit to my local credit union, got the IRS email notification yesterday but still waiting for the funds to show up. Reading through all these responses is actually really reassuring - sounds like this timing gap between notification and deposit is pretty normal across different banks, not just Woodforest. The 24-48 hour window that several people mentioned seems to be the sweet spot. I was starting to worry I had made an error somewhere, but it looks like patience is key here. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is incredibly helpful for us newcomers to the tax filing process!

If you're really concerned, you might want to check your tax transcript rather than just WMR. Sometimes the transcript will show if there's any hold or issue that might delay your deposit. The transcript updates more frequently than WMR in my experience. You can access it through the IRS website with an ID.me account if you haven't already.

I'm in a similar situation with Netspend and a 3/15 DDD! Still anxiously waiting here. Based on what everyone's sharing, it sounds like Netspend typically deposits 1-2 days early, but the timing can vary. Really helpful to see the actual experiences from @Jamal Edwards and @Fatima Al-Sayed who both got theirs a day early. I'm going to try to be patient and check again in the morning. Thanks for starting this thread - it's reassuring to know others are in the same boat and getting their deposits!