


Ask the community...
irs.gov website but good luck getting in. Its always down š¤”
This is such a relief to hear! I've been seeing so many horror stories about 971 codes that I automatically assumed the worst when mine appeared yesterday. Thanks for sharing the positive outcome - gives me hope that mine might just be a routine adjustment too. Did you get any indication on your transcript about what caused the increase?
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.
You would only need to report the distribution on Form 3520 for the tax year in which you received the distribution - not for future years. So if you closed your TFSA and transferred everything to a US account in 2024, you'd report it on your 2024 Form 3520 (filed in 2025). After that, since the account is closed, you wouldn't need to continue reporting it in future years. This is actually a common strategy for US persons with Canadian TFSAs - closing them to simplify US tax compliance since the tax advantages of TFSAs are generally not recognized by the US anyway.
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.
Watch out for scammers during this waiting period! I had someone call me claiming to be from the IRS saying they could "expedite" my paper check for a fee. Total scam! ⢠Never pay anyone who claims they can speed up your refund ⢠The IRS never calls about refunds without sending a letter first ⢠Don't give personal info to anyone who calls claiming to be IRS ⢠The only legitimate way to check status is through irs.gov/refunds My paper check took 23 days after bank rejection. No way to speed it up despite what scammers claimed.
I went through this exact situation in January! My bank rejected the direct deposit due to a closed account, and I was stressed about the timing too. Here's what actually happened: ⢠Day 1: Bank rejection occurred (I found out through my bank app) ⢠Day 3: Where's My Refund updated to show "refund sent to bank" changed to "processing" ⢠Day 12: Status updated to "refund mailed" with a date ⢠Day 16: Check arrived in my mailbox Total time was 16 days from rejection to receiving the physical check. The IRS customer service rep I eventually reached (after a 2-hour wait) told me 2-3 weeks is standard, but mine came on the earlier side. Pro tip: Keep checking Where's My Refund daily - it will update with the exact mailing date once your check is processed, which helps with planning. Also double-check that your current address matches exactly what's on file with the IRS! Hope this helps with your contractor expense planning - 16-23 days seems to be the realistic range based on recent experiences shared here.
This timeline is really helpful! I'm in a similar situation and your day-by-day breakdown gives me hope that it won't take the full 28 days I was worried about. Did you have to do anything special to make sure your address was correct with the IRS, or did you just assume it matched what was on your return? I'm paranoid now after reading about people's checks getting lost due to address issues.
Most comprehensive answer I can give based on my experience working with returns: 971 misc review means IRS needs to verify something. Could be several things: - Income verification - Credit eligibility - Identity verification - Math error check Best thing to do is: 1. Check if you got any IRS letters 2. Verify all income reported matches W2s/1099s 3. Use taxr.ai to analyze your transcript (seriously, its the best $1 youll spend) 4. If its been over 45 days, call IRS directly The system is backed up but they are working through them. Hang in there!
This is super helpful! šÆ
Code 971 can definitely be frustrating! I went through this last year and it took about 6 weeks total. The key thing is that once you see the 971, it means they're actively working on it (not just sitting in a queue). A few things that helped me: - Keep checking your transcript weekly (not daily - it won't change that often) - Make sure you have all your documents ready in case they send a letter - Don't panic if it goes past 45 days - mine took 42 days but some people wait longer The good news is that most 971 reviews resolve without any action needed from you. They're usually just verifying information automatically. Stay patient! š¤
Emily Sanjay
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.
0 coins
Alicia Stern
ā¢That's actually impressive for an EIC return this late in the season. They must be processing faster now that the early rush is over.
0 coins
GalacticGuardian
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!
0 coins