Has anyone noticed if weekends affect this timing? My WMR just updated today (Friday), but I'm wondering if I should expect SBTPG to update on Monday rather than over the weekend?

Here's what happens step by step: 1. IRS approves your refund (WMR shows approved) 2. IRS initiates ACH transfer to SBTPG (WMR shows sent) 3. SBTPG receives funds (can take 1-2 business days) 4. SBTPG deducts any fees you owe 5. SBTPG initiates transfer to your bank 6. Your bank processes the deposit (another 1-2 days) The whole process typically takes 2-4 business days from WMR update to money in your account. Banking cutoff times matter too - transfers initiated after 2pm often count as next-day transactions.

Congrats on getting thru! The ID verify process this yr is brutal. FWIW, I've helped about 30 ppl in this sub with similar issues. The key thing you did right was being persistent about not needing a letter. The IRS actually updated their internal procedures (IRM 25.25.6.1) in Jan to allow phone verification w/o letters, but many reps haven't been trained on it. For anyone else stuck: call right at 7am ET, ask specifically for TPP dept (Taxpayer Protection Program), and have ALL tax docs from last 3 yrs ready. Refunds typically process 9-14 days after successful verification.

I'm so happy you got this resolved! The emotional toll of these verification issues is something the IRS doesn't seem to understand. Did they explain why you were selected for verification in the first place? I'm wondering if there are specific triggers we should all be aware of to avoid this next year. Also, did they give you any specific timeframe for when your refund might be processed now that verification is complete?

I successfully recovered an offset last year through a documented financial hardship claim. Here's exactly what worked for me: I called my servicer (Great Lakes) and requested their "Tax Refund Offset Hardship Refund Application." I submitted the completed form with my most recent bank statement showing less than $500 balance, a past-due notice on my electric bill ($178.43), and a letter explaining that I needed the funds to secure housing as my current lease was ending in 30 days. I received approval for a partial refund of $1,850 out of the $2,700 that was offset. The funds were direct deposited to my account approximately 17 days after submission.

Be careful about timing here. I tried this route last year and was denied because I waited too long. I filed in February, discovered the offset in March, but didn't contact my loan servicer until May thinking I could take my time gathering documentation. Turns out most servicers have a 90-day window from the offset date, and I missed it by about 2 weeks. Now I'm on an IBR plan but that money is gone for good. The worst part? If I had set up the IBR a month earlier, the offset might never have happened in the first place.

The Account Transcript contains the Transaction Code History (TCH) which provides a comprehensive timeline of all actions taken on your return. The critical codes to monitor are: - TC 150: Return filed and entered into the Master File system - TC 570: Refund hold placed (temporary) - TC 571: Hold released - TC 768/766: Credit applied (EIC, CTC, etc.) - TC 846: Refund issued (with direct deposit date) The cycle code (e.g., 20241305) indicates when your return was processed. First four digits represent the year (2024), next two digits indicate the processing week (13 = 13th week of the year), and the final digit (5) represents the day of the week (5 = Thursday). Refunds typically appear 5-7 days after the TC 846 posts, though direct deposits often arrive on the exact date specified.

I filed on February 12th and my transcript shows code 570 dated April 8, 2024. Does that mean I won't see my refund until after that date? I was really counting on having this money by the end of March.

OMG I was literally losing my mind waiting for my refund this year! 😫 Filed on February 1st and didn't get my money until March 2nd - a whole MONTH of checking my bank account every morning! The approval came on February 28th and then the deposit hit 2 days later. I was so stressed because I needed that money for car repairs! But when it finally came through it was such a relief! 😅 The waiting is the worst part, especially when you're counting on that money!

Have you perhaps considered that filing method might affect your timeline? I've noticed that people using certain tax software seem to report slightly faster processing times, though I'm not entirely sure if that's just coincidence. It might be worth checking the IRS2Go app for updates as well, if you haven't already. Sometimes it shows updates a bit sooner than the website, at least in my limited experience. Just a thought that might help while you're waiting.

I'm not entirely convinced these third-party services provide much value. According to IRS Publication 1544 and the Taxpayer First Act guidelines, the official IRS tools should provide all necessary information about refund status. While I understand the frustration, paying for services to access information that should be freely available seems unnecessary. Have you tried calling the IRS directly or visiting a Taxpayer Assistance Center? Those are official channels that might provide more reliable information without additional costs.

The official IRS tools are great in theory, but they're often vague in practice. WMR typically shows just three generic statuses, and many people don't know how to access or interpret their tax transcripts. That's where specialized tools can help. They don't provide any information you can't technically get yourself, but they translate the IRS codes and timelines into plain English. For someone with camp deposits due and kids to manage, spending hours learning to interpret transcript codes might not be practical. Different solutions work for different situations.

This happens more often than people realize. Tax Topic 152 simply means your return is being processed normally. Nothing to panic about. Keep the check for now. Don't spend it. Wait for further instructions. The IRS will send a notice. They'll adjust your refund. The system works slowly but correctly. Document everything. Take photos of the check. Save all correspondence. Be patient.

Just to clarify what others have said - Tax Topic 152 is actually a good sign, not a bad one. It means your return is in normal processing and you're still due a refund (though possibly adjusted). If there was a serious problem, you'd see Tax Topic 151 instead, which indicates a tax offset or debt. I've been tracking my returns carefully for years, and the 152 topic appears on most normal returns at some point in processing.

If you're concerned about what's happening with your refund, I'd recommend checking your tax transcript using taxr.ai. The IRS transcript codes can be really confusing, but this tool breaks down exactly what each code means for your specific situation. I was worried about a TC 570 on my account, but taxr.ai explained it was just a temporary hold during processing and predicted my DDD accurately. It also shows you the exact refund amount that should be deposited after any adjustments, so you'll know if the IRS made any changes to your expected refund amount.

According to several online resources, including the IRS's own website (https://www.irs.gov/refunds), Chime itself doesn't take fees from tax refunds. However, if you opted to have your tax preparation fees taken out of your refund (sometimes called a Refund Transfer or RT), then those fees would have already been deducted before the money hits your Chime account. You can verify this by checking your tax transcript through the IRS website - the amount listed with code 846 is exactly what should be deposited to your account. If that amount is less than what you expected, it likely means fees were already taken out at the tax processor level, not by Chime.

Have you checked your tax transcript to see what's actually happening with your refund? Sometimes the WMR tool doesn't show the complete picture. I've had clients use taxr.ai to analyze their transcripts and it showed exactly why they were getting a paper check instead of direct deposit. Have you confirmed whether your banking information was rejected? Was there an offset that reduced your refund amount? Did you request a paper check without realizing it? The transcript would show all of this.

Just to clarify something important - are you working with an actual licensed tax preparer or a tax preparation company? Because if you're working with someone claiming they can "print your check," that would be concerning, right? Only the Treasury Department can issue IRS refund checks, and they have specific security features to prevent fraud. No legitimate tax preparer would suggest they could print an IRS check for you, would they?

Ever tried calling the IRS directly about your return status? I was in the same boat with TaxAct last month, and after getting frustrated with the lack of updates, I used Claimyr (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) to get through to an actual IRS agent. Why wait for weeks in uncertainty when you can talk to someone who can see exactly what's happening with your return? I was connected within 25 minutes instead of spending hours on hold or getting disconnected.

I've used TaxAct for exactly 7 tax seasons now. This year I filed on January 31st, 2024 and received my refund on February 21st, so it took 21 days precisely. Last year it took 18 days, and the year before that it was 24 days. From my experience, TaxAct itself doesn't affect processing time - it's more about when you file, what credits you claim, and whether your return gets selected for additional review. The software is just the messenger.