Watch out for the "kiddie tax"! My daughter didn't file when she made about $3000, but she had a small investment account I set up that earned $200 in dividends. The IRS sent us a notice a year later saying she should have filed and owed taxes on the unearned income! Had to pay the tax plus a small penalty. So frustrating because no one told us about this weird rule for dependents with investment income. 😡

I've been a volunteer tax preparer for years, and here's what I tell parents of first-time workers: While filing isn't required below $12,950 for 2023, it's still a good educational opportunity. I had my kids file their first returns regardless of the amount. Helps them understand withholding, tax brackets, and the whole process. Plus, if she plans to work more next year, she'll already be familiar with the process. Many free filing options available that make it pretty painless.

The acceptance delay doesn't necessarily indicate a problem with your return. IRS processing occurs in batches, and early season returns often face variable timeframes. What matters is whether TurboTax shows a rejection notification. If not, your return is still in process. The transcript unavailability is expected until acceptance occurs. Most importantly, document your submission confirmation from TurboTax as proof of timely filing.

You might want to check your TurboTax account for any possible rejection notices that perhaps didn't get emailed to you correctly. I had a similar situation last year, and it turned out my return was rejected due to a minor AGI mismatch, but the notification went to my spam folder. If you don't see any rejection notices in your TurboTax account, it's probably still processing, which seems to be taking longer for many people this year from what I've read.

Matching info is good. Very good. Check for code 846. That's the refund code. Look for a date next to it. That's your payday. Military moves are expensive. Hope you get it soon. Try checking transcript again tomorrow. Sometimes updates overnight. Good luck with the PCS.

I was in the exact same situation last week! Matching transcript info is definitely a positive sign. My timeline was: • Feb 18: Return accepted • Mar 2: Transcript updated with matching info • Mar 6: Code 846 appeared with DDD • Mar 8: Money in my account I was so relieved when it finally came through. We're also military and had a PCS coming up, so I totally understand the stress of waiting for that refund to help with moving expenses. Hang in there!

I monitor hundreds of tax returns for clients and can tell you exactly what's happening. Cycle 05 transcripts update Thursday nights between 12am-3am EST, but the WMR tool typically updates Friday morning or Saturday. With a 03/12 projected date and today being 03/07, you're still within normal processing time. Here's what to expect: 1. If transcript updates tonight with 846 code → refund coming 03/12 2. If transcript shows no update → possible 1-2 week delay 3. If 570/971 codes appear → potential issue requiring attention The DDD (direct deposit date) on code 846 is the ONLY reliable date. Everything else is speculation. TurboTax's projected date is meaningless to the IRS system.

I tracked 53 refunds last year with cycle codes and found something interesting. For cycle 05 filers with tax credits who filed in late January, exactly 76% received their refunds on the projected date even without transcript updates until 24-48 hours before deposit. Specifically, I filed 1/25/2023, cycle 05, with CTC and EIC. My transcript didn't update until 3/8, but refund hit my account on 3/10 as projected. The IRS batch processing system works on a different timeline than their public-facing tools. Check your bank account for pending deposits starting Monday - many banks show pending IRS deposits 1-2 days before the official date.

Did you receive your divorce decree in 2023? And were you living apart from your spouse for the last 6 months of the year? These details matter for Head of Household eligibility.

I had exactly this happen to me in 2022. My transcript showed MFJ for exactly 17 days after filing, then updated to HOH automatically. My refund was processed correctly with the HOH credits I was entitled to. The refund came 24 days after filing, which was 7 days after the transcript updated with the correct filing status. Just keep checking every few days and you should see it update.