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I was in EXACTLY the same situation. Ended up using taxr.ai to analyze my transcript, and it turns out I was in the fraud verification queue but they never sent me the letter! Once I knew what was happening I was able to verify my identity online and got my refund 2 weeks later. Highly recommend checking it out at https://taxr.ai - saved me so much headache.
That's interesting. How does it work exactly? can it tell me anything if my transcript is basically empty?
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Yes! Even an "empty" transcript tells a story. Mine looked empty too, but the tool explained that the lack of certain codes by this point in the year is actually an indication of specific issues. It can tell you if you're in manual review, identity verification, or just normal processing queue based on the pattern of what's missing and the timing. Super helpful.
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dont mean to be that person but... welcome to dealing with the IRS! they operate on their own timeline and theres pretty much nothing we can do but wait. ive had returns take 8+ months in previous years.
facts šÆ the IRS is living in 1985 while the rest of us are in 2025
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OMG are you me??? I'm literally dealing with the exact same thing! Both my college kids got basically nothing back this year and one owed $12. Following this thread for answers because I am so confused!
I spent 3 weeks trying to figure this out for my daughter's return and getting nowhere. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual IRS agent who explained everything. Turns out there were changes to the withholding calculations that specifically affected dependent workers. The agent walked us through exactly how to fix it for next year by adjusting her W-4. Cannot tell you how relieving it was to finally get answers after beating my head against the wall.
How long did it take to get someone on the phone with this?
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The app did all the waiting for me. I think it was about an hour and a half total but I was able to go about my day until they called to connect me. Way better than sitting on hold for hours manually dialing and redialing.
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If u want real help and not just guesses, I used claimyr.com after waiting 2 months post-verification with no movement. Got thru to an IRS agent who found my return was stuck in some random error department. They fixed it on the spot and my refund was processed the next week. Talking to an actual IRS agent made all the difference.
How much does that service cost? Seems like we shouldn't have to pay just to talk to the IRS about our own money
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I agree we shouldn't have to pay but its worth it when ur desperate. I spent over 10 hours trying to call myself with no luck. The service got me through in under an hour. Considering I was waiting on a $4700 refund, it was the best money I've ever spent.
15d
I verified Feb 10 and didn't see transcript movement until March 15. Its a waiting game unfortunately.
Make sure you get a printout or some kind of confirmation when you verify in person! I didn't and then had no proof when they later claimed I never verified. Had to start the whole process over again and it added 2 months to my wait time. Don't trust them to keep proper records.
This is gold advice right here! Screenshot or record EVERYTHING when dealing with the IRS.
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After struggling with similar issues for weeks, I found that taxr.ai was incredibly helpful for understanding what was actually happening with my return. It analyzed my transcript and told me exactly where I was in the process and what to expect next. Saved me tons of headaches trying to decode all the IRS jargon. https://taxr.ai
another tax help site? how is this different from all the other ones that basically just tell you the same info the IRS website has?
15d
Most sites just regurgitate the same useless info. This actually interprets your specific situation and documents. I was shocked at how detailed and accurate it was - literally predicted my deposit date to the day after months of uncertainty from the IRS. Wish I'd found it sooner!
15d
If you used TurboTax or another tax program, double check what you entered for the advance CTC payments. A lot of people enter $0 thinking they're answering "did you get advances" with "no" but the system interprets that as "yes I got advances totaling $0" which causes the exact problem you're describing.
We used FreeTaxUSA and I'm pretty sure I entered the correct amounts but now I'm second-guessing myself. Is there any way to see what I actually submitted on the return?
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You should be able to login to your FreeTaxUSA account and view/download a PDF of your submitted return. Check Schedule 8812 specifically.
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I'm a tax preparer and I've seen this issue multiple times this year. The IRS's record-keeping for the advance CTC payments has been a DISASTER. Most of the time it's because they recorded sending payments that never actually made it to the taxpayer. Request your 2023 Account Transcript ASAP and look for codes 766 with "credit reference number 1401" - these are the advance CTC payments they think they sent you.
Thank you! This is exactly what I needed to know. Will check for those specific codes tonight.
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In addition to what they said, you should use taxr.ai - it will automatically find and explain all these codes for you and tell you exactly what steps to take. Saved me so much time trying to figure out all the IRS jargon.
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I don't have SoFi but my credit union consistently posts my tax refund one day before the DDD. Same thing happened with both my state and federal refund this year. From what I understand, the IRS actually sends the payment instructions to banks 1-2 days before the official date, and then it's up to each bank how they handle it.
Pro tip: set up alerts in your banking app for deposits instead of constantly checking. That way you're not driving yourself crazy refreshing, and you'll know the moment it hits.
Thanks for the tip, just set up the notification!
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Just want to share my experience - I discovered taxr.ai from this sub a few months ago when I was dealing with an amended return nightmare. It was INCREDIBLE for helping me understand exactly what was happening with my tax account. Showed me all the codes on my transcript with plain English explanations and even gave me a timeline of when things should resolve based on similar cases. Totally worth checking out if you're trying to figure out what's going on with your return: https://taxr.ai
does it work for amended returns too? mine has been 'processing' for 7 months š
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Yes! That's exactly what I used it for - my amended return. It showed me where mine was stuck in the process and explained all the weird codes that showed up.
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Sometimes the best approach is to contact the Taxpayer Advocate Service. They have authority to cut through red tape when you're experiencing hardship due to IRS delays.
I'm a CPA and the advice in this thread is mostly correct - for a single-member LLC with no income or expenses, you'll just file a Schedule C with zeros on your personal tax return. But one thing people aren't mentioning: make sure you have an EIN for your LLC (even if not strictly required) and include it on your Schedule C. Makes things cleaner if you get questioned later.
Thanks for the professional advice! I did get an EIN when I formed the LLC, so I'll make sure to include that on the Schedule C.
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Perfect! You're ahead of the game then. And just for future reference, once you do start having income and expenses, keep meticulous records from day one. So many new business owners come to me with a shoebox of receipts and it's always a nightmare to sort through.
15d
I know I'll get attacked for this but... just hire a pro the first year you have an LLC. Learn how they do everything, ask questions, and then next year you can DIY with confidence.
No way, for a zero-income LLC that's complete overkill. Why waste money on a pro when it's literally just a Schedule C with zeros?
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Because tax pros don't just file your taxes - they can give you planning advice for the future, explain deductions you should be tracking, etc. But yeah, if it's truly just zeros this year, maybe wait until there's actual activity.
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I e-filed my taxes on 2/3 and my WMR has shown nothing but zeros since then, no processing, nothing. Been checking my transcript and everything was blank. Finally got a letter in the mail today asking to verify my identity. Just completed the verification process online and got the confirmation that it was successful. I went through the entire identity verification process on the IRS website (sa.www4.irs.gov) and got to the "Verify Your Return" section. After completing everything, I received a confirmation page that states: "Congratulations! You have successfully completed the return verification process. We now have the necessary information to continue processing your return." The confirmation page specifically mentions that "Processing can take up to 9 weeks" and warns that "If there are other issues, you may receive a notice requesting additional information that will extend the time that you'll receive your refund." They also advised that I "may check the status of your tax refund using Where's My Refund or the IRS2Go mobile app after 2 to 3 weeks." There was even a suggestion about getting an Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) "as a proactive step to protect yourself from tax-related identity" theft. For anyone who's gone through identity verification before, how long did it take after verifying to get your refund or at least see movement? My transcript still shows nothing. I don't normally stress about my refund timing but I'm helping my mom with some unexpected medical bills right now so the money would really help. Nine weeks of processing time seems incredibly long when I filed over a month ago already.
My timeline after verification last year: Week 1-2: Nothing Week 3: Transcript updated with 570 hold code Week 4: 571 release code appeared Week 5: 846 direct deposit code with date Week 6: Money in account Basically 6 weeks total but at least I could see progress along the way by checking my transcript.
After I verified last year I was stuck in limbo for 5 weeks with no updates. Was going crazy checking WMR daily. Finally used https://taxr.ai to actually understand my transcript and it showed me that they were doing a manual review after the verification. Once I knew what was happening I could relax. Got my refund 2 weeks later. That tool is honestly priceless during tax season stress!
Annabel Kimball
After 8 weeks of waiting and checking WMR everyday, i used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got connected to an IRS agent who told me my refund was held up because of a verification issue they never sent me a letter about! Fixed it right there on the phone and my $9500 refund was in my account 9 days later. talking to an agent got my refund released so fast. Don't waste time trying to guess what's happening with your refund.
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Jean Claude
did you have to give them your personal info? sounds sketchy
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Annabel Kimball
No personal info needed - it's just a calling service. You talk directly to the IRS yourself. They just get you through the impossible phone maze.
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Charity Cohan
Chime mobile deposit limit = $10k Chime direct deposit limit = $25k Tax refunds come as direct deposits You're good š
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