According to IRS Publication 1345 (Rev. 4-2023), when taxpayers elect to have fees deducted from their refund, the process must follow the Electronic Refund Disbursement (ERD) protocol. This requires the refund to be deposited first into a temporary bank account established by the tax preparation company or their financial partner. The financial institution must then process the fee deduction and forward remaining funds within one business day per Regulation E requirements. However, the current processing backlog is causing delays beyond the regulatory timeframe. You need to contact both your tax preparer and their banking partner immediately!

Isn't it interesting how we're all essentially giving these tax prep companies an interest-free loan? Think about it - they're holding millions of dollars of our refund money for several days before passing it along. Even at modest interest rates, they're making significant money just from the float period. I had a $4,382 refund last year with TurboTax fees taken out, and it took 4 days longer than my sister's refund (same filing date, same bank) who paid her fees upfront. Anyone else notice that the bigger your refund, the longer they seem to hold it?

The errors department is where returns go to die 💀 Mine was there for 87 days last year. Consider yourself lucky!

What's your cycle code? I'm trying to figure out if I'm on a weekly or daily update schedule.

Based on the timeline you've shared, you should definitely qualify for TAS assistance now. Have you checked your tax transcript online to see if there are any specific transaction codes that might explain the delay? Sometimes amended returns get stuck because of identity verification issues or because they're selected for manual review. Also, when you call the IRS, are you speaking with representatives from the Amended Return department specifically? The general IRS helpline often can't provide detailed information about amended returns. Try calling 866-464-2050 which is more directly connected to amended return processing. What specific information have they provided about why your return is delayed?

Has anyone mentioned Form 911 (Request for Taxpayer Advocate Service Assistance)? I filed one on January 12, 2023 after my amended return from April 2022 was stuck for 9 months. My case was assigned to a local advocate on February 3, 2023, and my amended return was processed by March 17, 2023. The form requires you to document financial hardship though - are you experiencing any specific financial difficulties because of this delay?

My timeline was almost identical to yours, but even longer! Filed Feb 3, accepted Feb 5, lost bars Feb 20, no topic 152 for THREE weeks, then suddenly got the 846 code on March 18 with a deposit date of March 23. The CTC adjustment reduced my refund by $1,500 which was way worse than what happened to my sister who only had a $400 adjustment. The most frustrating part was that unlike last year when everything processed in 8 days, this year it took 7 weeks with zero communication from the IRS until that final transcript update.

Just a heads-up for everyone - these CTC adjustments are happening more frequently this year because the IRS implemented enhanced verification protocols after the pandemic-era expanded credits expired. They're cross-checking dependent information more rigorously against prior year returns and other agency databases. The good news is that once you see that 846 code, you're in the home stretch! The direct deposit date is usually accurate within 1-2 business days. And hey, at least you didn't get hit with the dreaded 420 audit code - that would have added another 60-90 days to your wait! 😅

Try the Taxpayer Advocate Service. It's free. Call 877-777-4778. They can help with delays. Sometimes they can expedite. Worth a shot. Better than waiting indefinitely. They helped me last year. Got my refund unstuck in two weeks.

I waited exactly 52 days this tax season with the EXACT same situation - created an IP PIN 3 days after filing. My transcript was unavailable for 47 of those days, then suddenly appeared with a 570 hold code dated March 11th, followed by a 571 release code dated March 18th. The most frustrating part was calling the IRS 9 times and getting 9 different answers about the delay. One agent said it was the IP PIN, another said it was my investment income requiring verification, and a third said there was no issue at all - just normal processing times. My refund of $3,842 finally arrived on day 54, with no explanation for the delay.