Have you checked if you claimed any credits that might trigger additional review? EIC or Child Tax Credit can slow things down. Also, did you file with a military address? That sometimes routes returns through a different processing center. Try checking your transcript again tomorrow morning - they often update overnight on Thursdays.

I'm going through the exact same thing! Filed 1/30, accepted same day, got my state refund on 2/12, but federal is still stuck with just the 971 code. Called the IRS twice and got different answers - first agent said it's just normal processing, second one mentioned a "random review" but couldn't give specifics. What's frustrating is that my transcript hasn't updated at all since the 971 appeared on 3/2. At least your state came through quickly too, so hopefully that's a good sign that our info is all correct. Going to try checking again Friday morning since someone mentioned they update overnight on Thursdays.

idk why everyone sleeping on taxr.ai but its literally the best $5 i ever spent. saved me hours of phone calls and actually told me why my refund was delayed

Try calling 844-545-5640 early morning around 7-8am. It's the practitioner priority line but sometimes they'll help regular taxpayers too if you're polite and explain you've been trying for weeks. Worth a shot!

Something that hasn't been mentioned yet - make sure you're coordinating with your partner about this. My ex and I had a huge mess one year because we didn't communicate clearly about who was claiming which kid and both claimed the same child. It triggered an automatic IRS review and delayed both our refunds by months. The IRS eventually contacted both of us, and we had to sort it out. Since the kid lived with both of us equally, we had to use the tiebreaker rules (which generally favor the parent with higher AGI if all other factors are equal).

Based on your income levels, you're right to think strategically about this. Here's what you need to know: You CANNOT file as Head of Household without claiming at least one qualifying dependent - that's a hard IRS requirement. So your idea of filing HOH while letting your partner claim both kids won't work. Your best option is likely for each of you to claim one child and both file as HOH. This gives you both the better tax brackets and higher standard deductions that come with HOH status. Even though you're over the income limit for child tax credits, the HOH filing status itself provides significant tax savings compared to filing Single. Your partner will get the full child tax credit and likely EITC for their claimed child, while you'll still benefit from the HOH tax brackets and standard deduction for yours. Just make sure you document who pays for what household expenses throughout the year. The IRS does scrutinize unmarried couples who both claim HOH, so keep records of rent/mortgage, utilities, groceries, and childcare costs to show you're both legitimately supporting the household. One more thing - definitely coordinate clearly about who claims which child before filing. I've seen too many people accidentally both claim the same kid, which triggers an automatic IRS review and major delays.

Just to clarify something important - the WMR tool and the actual mailing of checks operate on different schedules. WMR updates once daily (usually overnight) but the paper checks are printed and mailed in batches once per week. So even after your WMR updates to "check mailed," the actual check might not go out for several more days depending on where it falls in their weekly mailing cycle.

I went through this exact situation in February! The IRS switched my refund to paper check due to what they called a "bank verification issue" even though I'd used the same account for years. Here's my timeline: IRS notified me on February 8th, my transcript updated with code 846 (paper check) on February 12th, WMR updated to "check mailed" on February 16th, and I actually received the check on February 23rd. So about 15 days total from notification to check in hand. Pro tip: definitely sign up for USPS Informed Delivery if you haven't already - it'll show you a preview of your mail each morning so you'll know the day your check is coming without having to constantly check your mailbox!

Just to offer another perspective - I handled my own CP2000 response for a similar RSU reporting issue last year without a tax pro. I just carefully documented everything, included copies of my RSU statements showing the vesting dates and values, and wrote a clear explanation letter. The key things that helped me: - I included a spreadsheet that matched each 1099-B transaction to the corresponding RSU grant - I highlighted the W2 box where the RSU income was already reported - I recalculated my Schedule D and Form 8949 with the correct cost basis - I was super organized with my response and made everything easy to follow The IRS accepted my explanation without any further questions. If you're comfortable with your tax situation and understand RSUs, you might not need to spend the money on a professional. Just be methodical and thorough in your response.

I'm surprised nobody mentioned reaching out to your company's stock administrator! When I had a similar issue with RSUs and a CP2000, our company's equity team provided me with detailed documentation specifically designed for responding to IRS notices. Many larger companies that offer RSUs have dealt with this exact situation many times and already have template letters and supporting documentation they can provide to employees. Worth checking if your HR or stock admin team can help before spending money on a professional.