your lucky to even have a date fr fr... been waiting since January 🤡

Congrats on finally getting a DDD! 🎉 For amended returns, it's usually a paper check regardless of your original filing method. The IRS typically doesn't do direct deposit for 1040X refunds. You should see it in your mailbox within 5-10 business days of 11/22. I'd recommend setting up informed delivery with USPS so you can track when it's coming!

Has anyone had success with reasonable cause abatement specifically for medical issues? I'm curious how detailed the medical documentation needs to be. Do they want actual medical records or just a doctor's letter?

Based on my experience helping clients with penalty abatements, your strategy of trying first-time abatement first is solid. You can absolutely submit a second Form 843 for reasonable cause if the FTA is denied - there's no restriction on multiple attempts using different abatement theories. One thing to consider: since you have both a potential FTA qualification AND a strong reasonable cause argument (medical situation), you might want to mention both briefly on your initial Form 843. In section 4, you could state something like "Requesting first-time penalty abatement as I have no penalties in the prior three years. Additionally, I experienced a serious knee injury requiring surgery that significantly limited my mobility during the filing period." This way, if the IRS agent reviewing your case sees any issue with your FTA eligibility, they can immediately consider your reasonable cause without requiring a second submission. The medical documentation you mentioned would only be needed if they specifically request it or if you end up filing a dedicated reasonable cause request later. The only real downside to your sequential approach is time - but given that you have a legitimate reasonable cause backup, there's no harm in trying the simpler FTA route first.

I'm dealing with almost the exact same timeline as you! Filed 1/28, accepted 1/30, and got hit with that same 570 code. The waiting game is absolutely brutal, especially when you're checking your transcript multiple times a day hoping for any movement. From what I've gathered reading through everyone's experiences here, it sounds like the key is figuring out whether you actually need identity verification or if you're just stuck in the general review queue. Since you mentioned talking to 3 different reps with 3 different stories, that unfortunately seems par for the course with the IRS phone support. One thing that's helped me stay (somewhat) sane is setting a specific day each week to check my transcript instead of daily - the constant checking was driving me crazy and nothing ever changes that quickly anyway. Have you checked your IRS online account to see if there are any action items or notifications there? Sometimes that shows identity verification requests before the letters arrive. Really hoping both of us see some movement soon - this waiting is exhausting!

I'm going through something very similar and your rollercoaster analogy is spot on! Filed 1/24, accepted 1/27, and got the 570 code with a 3/3 date. It's been almost two weeks of checking my transcript obsessively. From what I've learned lurking in these forums and talking to a few people who've been through this, the 570 code is basically the IRS saying "hold up, we need to take a closer look." The frustrating part is that "random review" can mean so many different things - income verification, education credit review, or even just their system flagging something that looks unusual. One thing that's helped me is understanding that if you truly needed identity verification, you'd typically get a specific letter (the 5071C that others mentioned) and there would be clear instructions. Since you haven't gotten that yet, you're probably just in the waiting game like the rest of us. I know it's easier said than done, but try not to drive yourself crazy with the daily checking. I've started limiting myself to checking twice a week max. The processing times have been brutal this year - I've seen people wait 6-10 weeks for resolution on these random reviews. Hang in there!

I filed 3/25 and my transcript updated this morning with a DDD of 4/8, so that'll be 14 days total. I claimed EIC too, so I was surprised it moved so quickly. I think they're catching up on the backlog from earlier in the season.

Filed 3/29 here and still showing "received" on WMR. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like there's really no rhyme or reason to the timing this year! Some getting it in 8 days, others taking the full 21. I have a pretty straightforward return - just W-2 and standard deduction, no kids or credits - so hopefully I'll be on the faster side. Thanks for sharing your timelines everyone, it helps to know I'm not the only one obsessively checking every morning!

Question about the TFSA distribution - if I closed my account and transferred everything to a US account like OP did, do I need to report this on Form 3520 every year going forward, or just for the tax year when I made the transfer? I'm thinking about doing the same thing to simplify my tax situation.

I went through a very similar situation with my Canadian TFSA last year and can confirm what others have said about the extension. Form 4868 does automatically extend Form 3520 to October 15th - you don't need to file a separate extension form. For your specific TFSA situation, the IRS generally treats Canadian TFSAs as foreign trusts (unlike RRSPs which have treaty exceptions). Your $28,000 distribution in January 2024 would likely need to be reported on Form 3520 as a distribution from a foreign trust. The good news is that if you're filing under extension, you have until October 15th to get everything sorted out. One piece of advice - consider getting professional help with this if the amounts are significant. The Form 3520 penalties are severe (the greater of $10,000 or 35% of the trust distributions), so it's worth making sure you get it right. The complexity of foreign trust reporting combined with the harsh penalty structure makes this one area where professional guidance often pays for itself.