Last year my as-of date changed SEVEN times! Started Feb 13, went to Mar 6, back to Feb 20, then Mar 13, back to Feb 27, then Mar 20, and finally settled on Mar 6. Got my refund exactly 9 days after that final date. The process is maddening - I checked transcripts every morning at 6am and every night at midnight. The cycle 05 means you're on weekly processing (Thursdays), which is actually better than daily in my experience. The daily cycles seem to get more delays and verification holds.

Anyone else find it ridiculous that we have to become amateur IRS code detectives just to figure out when we'll get our own money back? My as-of date did the same dance last month, and I was ready to throw my computer out the window. But guess what? The refund showed up exactly 8 days after the date stopped changing. Hang in there - the changing dates actually mean your return is moving through their system, not stuck in limbo. Thanks to everyone here who explains these things so clearly!

Here's how to fully understand what's happening with your return: 1. First, verify you're truly a Cycle 02 filer by looking at your account transcript - the cycle code will be something like 20240702 (where 02 is your cycle) 2. Next, check for the 846 code with the 2/24 date - this confirms your refund is scheduled 3. Look for any 570/971 codes that haven't been resolved - if they have the same date as your 846 or earlier dates, they're likely resolved 4. The WMR tool updates on a completely different schedule than transcripts, typically overnight between 3-6am EST 5. PATH Act verification is typically completed by mid-February, which aligns with your timeline I'm seeing a lot of Cycle 02 filers getting updates today, so this seems to be a normal batch processing.

Pro tip from someone who's been through many tax seasons: ALWAYS trust your transcript over WMR. The transcript is the actual IRS internal record while WMR is just a simplified status tool that often lags behind. When you see that 846 code with a date, that's your money on the way! The IRS website even says WMR can take up to 72 hours to reflect transcript changes. Congrats on your coming refund!

I waited too long to call about this exact situation last year and regretted it. My 'as of date' kept changing for 8 weeks! When I finally reached someone, it turned out they needed a simple verification that could have been handled in 5 minutes if I'd called earlier. Have you checked if your address on file matches exactly what you submitted? Even small differences can trigger these review codes.

According to Internal Revenue Manual 21.4.1, Transaction Code 0605 indicates 'Additional Liability Pending/Unassessed Tax.' This appears when the IRS system has flagged your return for potential adjustment or review. The changing 'as of' dates indicate processing timeline extensions within the Integrated Automation Technologies system. This is standard procedure when certain verification protocols are triggered, particularly common with military families who have multiple state filings or overseas income considerations. Your return remains in the normal processing queue, albeit with additional verification steps.

Have you tried pulling your Account Transcript instead of just the Return Transcript? Sometimes the Account Transcript will show pending actions even when the Return Transcript is blank. I waited exactly 67 days last year for my business return to process, and the Account Transcript showed codes 570/971 for weeks before anything appeared on my Return Transcript. The IRS is currently processing returns filed on January 29th according to their operations page, so your February 5th filing is still within their processing window. I'd give it precisely 14 more days before taking additional action.

Isn't it interesting how the IRS expects immediate payment from us, yet takes their sweet time processing our returns? I've been through this rodeo many times with my business returns. What you're experiencing is unfortunately normal, especially for business returns with Schedule C or Form 1120-S components. The real question is: have you received any mail correspondence from them? Often they'll send verification requests while the transcript still shows nothing. The system is designed to keep us in the dark, but don't worry - your return isn't lost, just working its way through their byzantine processing system.

I don't want to be that person, but cycle codes aren't always reliable indicators. Last year I was cycle 05 and waited 9 weeks for my refund while everyone else seemed to get theirs in 3 weeks. The IRS told me they were "just backed up" but then I got a letter requesting additional verification. Would have been nice if they'd told me that when I called! 🙄 Sometimes these codes mean something and sometimes they're just random numbers to make us think there's a system, lol.

While I understand the frustration, cycle codes actually do have specific meanings within the IRS processing system. Cycle 05 indicates Thursday processing, which is different from cycle 01 (Monday) or cycle 03 (Wednesday). Compared to previous years, the current processing times are actually running more efficiently for most filers, though independent contractors often face additional verification steps. Your experience last year with the verification letter is unfortunately common, but the system itself is quite structured - just not always transparent to us on the outside.