Be careful with counting on exact dates. Last year I was expecting my refund right after Feb 15th because of PATH Act, told my landlord I'd pay late rent then, and ended up waiting until March 11th! Turns out my return got randomly selected for additional review AFTER the PATH hold was over. No explanation, no letter, nothing - just silence for weeks. Had to borrow money from family which was embarrassing. Just saying, even when you get past the PATH hold, there can be other delays.

I just went through this exact situation. Had you changed anything significant on your tax return this year compared to previous years? Did you claim any new credits? Have you moved to a different state? In my case, I received the PATH message for the first time after 5 years of claiming EITC when I moved from Illinois to Texas. My refund was deposited exactly 8 days after February 15th, which was actually faster than previous years when I never saw the message. Strange, isn't it?

Has anyone had success with requesting a Taxpayer Advocate in these verification situations? I've heard they can help with hardship cases, but would upcoming special events qualify? What documentation would you need to provide to prove hardship? I'm also stuck in verification and wondering if this is a viable option.

Consider exploring alternative verification methods if available. The IRS recently implemented enhanced in-person verification options at Taxpayer Assistance Centers that can expedite this process compared to the standard online or phone verification protocols. Additionally, if you've created an ID.me account previously, ensure it's fully authenticated as this can sometimes resolve pending verification status without additional steps. The verification backlog typically processes in chronological order, so earlier submissions generally resolve before later ones.

I think you should take a proactive approach rather than waiting. Here's what I recommend: 1. First, pull your complete wage and income transcript for 2023 to verify all income was reported correctly 2. Gather all documentation that supports your CTC and EIC claims now (birth certificates, school records, proof of residency for qualifying children) 3. Check if you meet the relationship, age, residency, and joint return tests for the qualifying child 4. Verify that your AGI falls within the EIC limits for married filing jointly 5. Check if your investment income is below the threshold Even if you haven't received a letter yet, having this documentation ready will save you time if they do request verification.

Be very careful with how you respond to any IRS inquiries about code 420. I had this exact situation in 2022, and I made the critical mistake of sending insufficient documentation for my EIC verification. This resulted in a partial disallowance of my credits and extended the review by an additional 60 days. When they requested proof of my qualifying child, I only sent the birth certificate, but they also needed school records to verify residency. The terminology in their letter was extremely specific - "proof of residency" means the child must have lived with you for more than half the year, not just proof that you have a child. This delay cost me nearly 4 months of waiting.

One important thing nobody has mentioned: the IRS has a $1,000 threshold for unreported income that they typically use for enforcement actions. Your $370 is well below that. You still legally need to report it, but the practical reality is that the IRS is unlikely to send you a notice about such a small amount. If you do amend, make sure you keep a copy of the 1099 and your amended return for at least 3 years in case of audit.

OMG I'm so glad I found this thread! I had this EXACT situation last year with a forgotten 1099 for $420. I freaked out thinking I was going to jail or something 😅 I waited until my refund came through (about 3 weeks), then filed the 1040-X with the additional income. Paid about $95 extra in taxes. The amended return was processed without any issues and I got a letter confirming it was accepted about 4 months later. The peace of mind was totally worth it!

In 2023, I tracked my refund timeline precisely: Filed Jan 28, PATH hold until Feb 15, IRS approved Feb 17, and with TurboTax's early deposit feature, I received funds Feb 20. My colleague filed identical credits/deductions on the same day without the feature and received his deposit Feb 24. So it saved exactly 4 days, but only AFTER the PATH hold lifted. Whether that's worth $25 depends entirely on your financial situation and urgency.

Just to clarify something important - the PATH Act doesn't technically say refunds can't be released until February 15th. It says the IRS cannot issue refunds BEFORE mid-February. In practice, this means the IRS starts processing these returns in batches around February 15th, but actual release dates vary widely. Some people get their refunds on the 15th, while others might wait until late February or even March, depending on various factors including verification needs and processing backlogs.