Isn't it CRAZY that we pay taxes but then have to become detectives to figure out what's happening with our own money? The whole system is so broken. Good luck OP, hope you get your refund soon! 🙏

I went through this exact same situation last year with code 420 on my transcript. The waiting is absolutely the worst part because you have no idea how long it's going to take. In my case, I had to provide school enrollment records and medical records showing my kids lived with me for more than half the year to verify my Head of Household status and EIC eligibility. The good news is that if you legitimately qualify for everything you claimed, you'll eventually get your full refund. The bad news is it can take anywhere from 45 days to 4+ months depending on how quickly you respond and how backed up they are. Start gathering your documentation now - anything that shows your dependents lived with you (school records, medical bills, daycare statements, etc.) so you're ready when that notice arrives. And definitely keep checking your transcript for updates because sometimes the codes change before you even get the letter in the mail. Hang in there! The IRS bureaucracy is frustrating but most of these reviews do get resolved in the taxpayer's favor eventually.

Pro tip: Switch to a different tax service next year! I used H&R Block for years and had nothing but problems the last two tax seasons. Their software has gotten buggy and their customer service keeps getting worse. I switched to FreeTaxUSA this year and it was WAY better - they actually prompted me for my IP PIN right upfront and the whole process was smoother.

This is such a common issue this year! I had almost the exact same experience with TurboTax - their system showed my return as "transmitted" but the IRS had actually rejected it due to my IP PIN. The communication between tax software companies and the IRS seems to have some serious lag issues this filing season. What really helped me was calling the IRS early in the morning (around 7 AM) when they first open. The hold times are much shorter then. You can also check your actual filing status directly on the IRS website using their "Where's My Refund" tool - it'll show you the real status from their end, not what H&R Block thinks. Once you get your IP PIN sorted out and refile, the process should go smoothly. It's frustrating that H&R Block's system doesn't handle this better, especially since IP PINs are becoming so much more common. Good luck getting it resolved!

its getting wild out here with identity theft. irs trying to crack down but making life impossible for everyone else fr

This is becoming super common unfortunately. The IRS has been automatically enrolling people in the IP PIN program if they detect any suspicious activity on the SSN, even if you weren't aware of it. Sometimes it's triggered by data breaches or just their algorithm flagging something. You definitely need to get the PIN before you can file - there's no way around it once you're in the system. Try calling early morning or late afternoon for better chances of getting through to someone.

The IRS typically processes refunds in 8-day cycles. Returns filed and accepted on February 12-19 likely received February 24-26 deposit dates. Returns processed February 20-27 would receive March 2-5 deposit dates. It's purely mathematical batch processing. PNC specifically takes exactly 24 hours to post pending deposits after receiving them from the Treasury. 76% of direct deposits arrive on or before the WMR projected date, 19% arrive 1-2 days early, and 5% experience delays beyond the projected date.

I had a similar experience with PNC last year - my deposit date was about 5 days later than friends with other banks, but the refund actually showed up 2 days before the scheduled date. From what I've observed, PNC tends to be more conservative with their deposit posting compared to banks like Chime or Credit Karma that sometimes release funds early. The good news is that March 2nd is likely a "no later than" date rather than an exact date. Your state tax situation shouldn't impact federal refund timing at all - they're completely separate systems. I'd suggest checking your IRS transcript if you haven't already, as it might show more specific processing codes that could explain the batch timing.

This situation is exactly why I refuse to use insurance agents for financial advice. They're salespeople, not tax experts. Even if they weren't making commission on this particular transaction, they likely don't understand the tax implications of what they're suggesting.

I'm really sorry you're going through this nightmare - it's incredibly frustrating when professional advice goes wrong and leaves you holding the bag with the IRS. From what you've described, the core issue is that your agent incorrectly handled what should have been a direct 1035 exchange. When the check was made out to you personally, it created a taxable event for any earnings in your non-qualified annuity, even though you immediately transferred the funds to another annuity. A few important points to consider: First, you should only owe taxes on the earnings portion of your annuity, not the entire distribution amount. Your original investment (basis) in a non-qualified annuity has already been taxed. Second, you may be able to request penalty abatement based on reasonable reliance on professional advice - document everything about what your agent told you and when. I'd strongly recommend getting professional help to sort this out properly. The tax rules around annuity distributions are complex, and you want to make sure you're not paying more than you actually owe. Also consider filing a complaint with your state insurance commissioner about the bad advice - your agent was completely wrong about Athena not being able to process a 1035 exchange. Don't panic - while this is a serious situation, there are ways to work through it and potentially minimize the damage.