Don't forget about state tax records too! Some states have different requirements than the federal government. In California, for example, they have a 4-year statute of limitations instead of the IRS 3 years. Always check your specific state rules.

I personally keep all my W-2s indefinitely since they're small and good for proving employment history. But for the bulkier stuff like all the supporting documents, I follow the 7-year rule just to be extra safe. Once a year during tax season, I shred anything that's older than 7 years except for property records.

waited 3 months last year... IL is always slow af with returns fr fr

Also try checking early morning or late evening - the MyTax Illinois website tends to be less busy during those times. If you're still having trouble, you can also contact your local Illinois Department of Revenue office directly. They sometimes have shorter wait times than the main hotline. Good luck!

Just wanted to share that I was cycle 0505 last year and this year too. Last year I was checking constantly and driving myself crazy. This year I just waited patiently after seeing my cycle code. Like clockwork, my transcript updated exactly when expected (Friday morning) and my refund hit my account the following Wednesday. The cycle codes are actually quite reliable once you understand how they work. I remember feeling just as anxious as you are now!

I'm also cycle 0505 and filed in early February with the Child Tax Credit! Still showing "Return Received" on WMR and my account transcript has the same April 1st processing date. Reading through everyone's responses here is actually making me feel so much better - it sounds like we should see movement by Friday morning if the pattern holds true. The waiting game is definitely stressful when you're planning around that refund money, but it's reassuring to know others are in the exact same situation. I'll try to be patient and check my transcript Friday morning instead of obsessively refreshing it every few hours!

FYI for anyone who needs this - if ur transcript shows N/A for 2023, it doesn't mean ur return isn't in the system. It just means it hasn't been fully processed yet. Mine was N/A for 3 wks then suddenly appeared w/ all processing steps completed at once. Checked at 6am on a Friday and boom - full transcript w/ DDD. Def check early AM for best results.

This is incredibly helpful information! I've been part of the daily refresh crowd myself, but understanding the cycle code system changes everything. For anyone still confused about finding their cycle code - it's typically visible on your Account Transcript in the top right section. One thing I'd add: if you're in a situation where you need updates faster than your cycle allows (like for loan applications or other time-sensitive matters), the IRS does offer expedited processing in certain circumstances. You can request this through their practitioner priority service if you're working with a tax professional, or sometimes directly if you can demonstrate financial hardship. Also worth noting that during peak filing season (January-April), the system can experience delays even on your designated update day, so don't panic if your Monday update doesn't appear until Tuesday - the IRS typically catches up within 24-48 hours during high-volume periods.

Has anyone used the Multi-Job Worksheet on the W-4? I'm trying to fill it out but it's confusing the heck out of me. My wife and I are both at about the same income level (~$160k each) and I can't tell if I'm doing it right.

This exact thing happened to us last year! We're also a dual-income household with no kids, both claimed 0, and still ended up owing about $6k despite thinking we were being super conservative with our withholding. What I learned is that the "married filing jointly" tax brackets are weird - they're not exactly double the single brackets, so there's this "marriage penalty" effect when both spouses have high incomes. Plus, like others mentioned, each employer is calculating withholding as if your job is the only income source. The 1099-INT interest with no withholding definitely doesn't help either. We started making quarterly estimated payments for our investment income, which has helped a lot. For next year, we ended up using the IRS withholding estimator and adding about $200 extra per paycheck split between both our jobs. It's annoying to have less take-home pay, but way better than getting hit with a surprise tax bill every April!