anyone know if 290 usually updates to 846 this fast? mine's been on 290 for weeks

Congrats on finally getting that 846! 🎉 That EIC reduction mess sounds like a nightmare - had something similar happen to me last year where they reduced my credit and it took forever to sort out. The fact that you got interest added too is nice, even if it's not much. 10 months is way too long but at least you're finally getting your money! Hope it hits your account on time 🤞

You should try using that Claimyr app thing to connect with the IRS. I was in the same boat waiting for my check after a freeze was lifted, and talking to a live agent got my refund released so fast. They told me exactly when it would arrive. claimyr.com saved me weeks of stress

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - had my refund frozen for 8 months and finally got the 846 code last week. The waiting is absolutely brutal! From what I've learned through this whole process, paper checks typically take 2-4 weeks from the 846 date, but with all the mail delays lately it can stretch longer. Since your 846 date was 2/26, you're still within the normal window. I'd wait until at least mid-April before requesting a payment trace. The fact that they added interest (code 776) is actually a good sign - it means they've acknowledged the delay and your refund is definitely processed. Hang in there!

The community wisdom on amended returns is pretty consistent: they take forever, and that's when everything goes right. Have you checked if you can view your Record of Account transcript? Sometimes that shows pending amendments before the other transcript types. Also worth noting that if you amended because of an error the IRS might fix automatically (math errors, etc.), they sometimes just adjust your return without processing the amendment at all. Happened to me last year and I waited months before realizing they had already fixed the issue another way.

I filed my amended return on 2/20 and it's been 6 weeks with no sign of it anywhere. After reading all these responses, I'm feeling a bit more relieved that this seems to be the norm rather than the exception. The 8-12 week timeline just to show up in the system is helpful context - I was starting to panic that mine got lost in the mail or something. I think I'll follow the advice about checking weekly instead of daily (guilty as charged on the daily checking!). Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's reassuring to know we're all in the same waiting boat together.

Has anyone actually been fined for this? My dad's been preparing taxes for 30+ years and still does paper filing for about half his clients (probably 150+ returns). He's never had an issue with the IRS about it.

This is a really important issue that more tax preparers need to take seriously. I work at a mid-size CPA firm and we went through this exact transition about 3 years ago when our managing partner finally realized we were at risk. The key thing to understand is that the IRS penalty of $50 per return might seem small, but it's assessed PER RETURN that should have been e-filed. So if your firm prepares 200+ returns annually and has been paper filing for several years, you're looking at potentially tens of thousands in penalties if they decide to audit your compliance. What really convinced our managing partner was when I calculated that we were spending about 15-20 extra minutes per return on paper filing (printing, mailing, tracking) compared to e-filing. Once you factor in postage costs and staff time, e-filing actually saves money even without considering the penalty risk. My suggestion would be to prepare a business case showing both the financial risk of continued non-compliance AND the efficiency benefits of switching. Most old-school preparers resist change because they think it'll be more complicated, but modern e-filing software is actually much easier than the paper process once you get set up. The IRS has definitely been stepping up enforcement - we've seen several local preparers get hit with compliance reviews in the past two years. It's really not worth the risk when the solution is so straightforward.

I'm currently waiting for my STPG cashier's check as well and this thread has been incredibly helpful! My tax preparer told me to expect it by April 15th, but after reading everyone's experiences, I'm cautiously optimistic it might arrive a few days earlier. One thing I've learned from previous years is to make sure your mailing address with your tax preparer is exactly correct - I had a friend whose check was delayed because of a small address discrepancy. Also, for anyone still waiting, I've found that the STPG portal updates seem to happen in batches, so don't panic if the status doesn't change immediately. Thanks to everyone who shared their timelines and tips about contacting customer service through tax preparers - definitely keeping that in mind if I don't see my check by the expected date!

I'm currently going through this exact situation! My tax preparer used STPG and gave me an expected date of April 18th for my cashier's check. Reading through all these experiences has been really eye-opening - it sounds like there's a decent chance it could arrive a few days early, which would be amazing. I'm particularly interested in what @Miguel Silva mentioned about the 5-7 business day timeline after STPG shows "funds received" on their portal. My portal still shows "processing" so I'm guessing the IRS hasn't released my funds to them yet. One question for those who've been through this - do you get any kind of email notification when STPG actually mails out your check, or do you just have to keep checking the portal and your mailbox? This is my first year using the cashier's check option instead of direct deposit, and the waiting is definitely more nerve-wracking than I expected! Also planning to double-check my mailing address with my preparer tomorrow after reading about potential delays from address issues. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it's really helpful to know what to expect!