Anyone else think its crazy that in 2023 were still dealing with paper checks and snail mail for tax refunds? The whole system needs an overhaul smh

I had the exact same thing happen to me last year! What worked for me was filing Form 3911 (Taxpayer Statement Regarding Refund) - you can download it from the IRS website. It's specifically designed for this situation. Fill it out completely and mail it with copies of your ID and proof of your new address. I got my replacement check about 6 weeks later. Way faster than just writing a letter, and it goes directly to the right department. Hope this helps!

Does your 806 code have a specific cycle date associated with it? The cycle date can sometimes indicate when your return is being processed in the IRS weekly cycles, which might give you insight into your refund timing.

I had the exact same concern when I first saw code 806 on my transcript! As others have mentioned, it's simply your withholding credits - nothing to worry about at all. Since you mentioned you've been preparing your own returns since retiring in 2018, you might find it helpful to know that code 806 has likely been on all your previous transcripts too, but it's easy to overlook if you're not specifically looking for it. The amount should match your total federal withholding from all your income sources (W-2s, 1099s with backup withholding, estimated payments, etc.). Your 17-day wait is still well within the normal 21-day processing window, so you should see movement soon!

This is actually a great example of how the tax system is supposed to work! When you have low income but qualify for refundable credits like the Earned Income Credit, you can get back more than you paid in. The $0 tax liability just means your income after deductions didn't result in any federal income tax owed - which is totally normal and nothing to worry about. Your refund should process normally within the 21-day timeframe from your processing date of Feb 17th.

Just want to add that you should definitely keep an eye on your "Where's My Refund" tool on the IRS website too! Since your processing date was Feb 17th, you're right in that 21-day window. The tool will show you once it moves to "refund approved" and then "refund sent" status. With everything looking normal on your transcript (no holds, no additional review codes), you should see movement soon. Also heads up - direct deposit usually comes a few days before they update the tool, so don't panic if your bank gets it before the IRS site updates! 🙌

After dealing with a delayed refund and being completely confused by my transcript, I finally just used Claimyr to talk to an IRS agent (claimyr.com). Got a callback in about an hour and the agent found the issue right away - some identity verification thing that I never received a letter about. Got my refund a week later after verifying. Sometimes you just need to talk to a human!

I've been with Wells Fargo for years and unfortunately they're pretty strict about deposit dates - they almost never release tax refunds early like some of the newer online banks do. However, the good news is that when they do deposit on the official date (your 3/15), it usually shows up very early in the morning, often right at midnight or shortly after. So while you probably won't see it before the 15th, you should definitely have it first thing that morning! The 846 code on your transcript is the most reliable indicator - that's your actual deposit date from the IRS.

I had this exact issue in 2023 - no income but I did have a failed business attempt that lost about $5k. Called a tax preparer who wanted to charge me $250 just to tell me if I needed to file! Ridiculous.

Thanks for sharing your experience with VITA - that's actually a great resource I didn't know about! For anyone else reading this thread, I wanted to add that even with zero income, you might still want to consider filing if you had any federal taxes withheld from unemployment benefits or other sources during the year. I learned this the hard way when I had a brief period of unemployment early in 2023 but then no other income for the rest of the year. Even though my total income was below the filing threshold, I had taxes withheld from those unemployment payments that I could only get back by filing a return. Ended up getting a small refund that I wouldn't have received otherwise. The IRS won't automatically send you money you're owed - you have to file to claim it, even if filing isn't technically required based on your income level.