I was in your exact situation last year. Paper return sent in February, no updates until August. When I finally got my transcript, I couldn't make sense of all the codes and dates. Someone here recommended taxr.ai and it actually helped decode everything. No BS - it explained what each code meant and gave me a timeline. The site is https://taxr.ai if you eventually get your transcript and need to understand what's happening.

The IRS announced on April 11, 2024 that they're still processing paper returns received as far back as January 29, 2024. I mailed mine on February 17 and called them on May 2 - they confirmed receipt but said processing would take at least until June 15. The agent recommended checking the "Where's My Refund" tool every Friday as that's when most updates happen. He also mentioned that if you're expecting a refund, you can request interest payments if processing takes more than 45 days after the filing deadline (which was April 15, 2024).

Turbotax and other tax prep services are super shady with how they handle refund advances.🚩🚩 They deliberately make it confusing. Your refund is going to their account first (that's the account # you're seeing), they'll take their cut for the advance + fees, then eventually send you what's left. It's basically a loan sharking operation lol. Might take 5-10 days to get the rest after SBTG shows funded.

This exact same thing happened to me last year! The SBTG account number that shows up is definitely NOT your personal account - it's their temporary holding account where your full refund lands first. Here's what's happening: 1. IRS sends your complete refund to that SBTG temp account 2. SBTG/TurboTax deducts the advance amount they already gave you 3. They also take out their processing fees (which honestly add up) 4. Whatever's left gets sent to the same payment method you got your advance on The whole process took about 6 business days for me after I saw the "funded" status. I was freaking out just like you because that account number made no sense to me either! But sure enough, the remaining balance showed up on my TurboTax card exactly when they said it would. Just be patient for another week or so. If nothing shows up by then, definitely contact TurboTax support, but this is totally normal for their refund advance process.

Just to clarify something that hasn't been mentioned yet - the 152 code on WMR isn't actually an official IRS transaction code like the ones on your transcript (570, 971, etc). It's just a message code for the WMR tool itself. Its disappearance usually indicates the system is preparing to show you a new status, but the WMR tool often lags behind what's actually happening with your return. This is why many people report their refund arriving without WMR ever updating to the third bar.

This is really helpful information, and I appreciate everyone sharing their experiences! As someone who's been through multiple tax seasons, I can confirm that the disappearing code 152 is actually pretty normal. What I've learned is that the IRS systems often update behind the scenes before the WMR tool reflects those changes. For anyone else dealing with this - here's what I'd recommend: 1. Check your transcript if you can access it online (it's way more reliable than WMR) 2. Don't panic if codes disappear - it usually means progress, not problems 3. The 21-day processing timeframe is just a guideline, especially for early filers 4. If you filed in late January, you're right in the normal processing window The good news is that most people reporting this issue end up getting their refunds within a week or two of the code disappearing. The system is definitely glitchy this year, but the underlying processing seems to be working. Hang in there - it sounds like you're on the right track!

mine switched from 05 to 03 last week and got my refund yesterday!

Cycle 03 just means Wednesday processing - nothing to worry about! I was cycle 03 too and got my refund after about 5 weeks. The key is checking your transcript for any freeze codes or holds. If you don't see any 570/971 codes like Giovanni mentioned, you're probably just in the normal processing queue. Hang in there! 💪

Call the IRS early morning right when they open. Thats what I did and got answers quick

From what I understand, cycle code 03 means your return is in daily processing which is actually faster than weekly (05). This usually happens when they need to do additional verification or when there are certain credits/deductions that require manual review. The good news is that daily processing typically moves quicker once they start working on it. I'd expect to see movement within 1-2 weeks if everything checks out. Keep monitoring your transcripts - you should see a 846 code appear when your refund is approved and scheduled.