I had the exact same experience this year! Filed February 5th, accepted February 6th, and then... nothing. Just that one bar on WMR for weeks. Isn't it frustrating when you see others who filed after you already receiving their refunds? I finally got my deposit date yesterday - a full 46 days after filing. The IRS seems to be processing returns in batches rather than first-come-first-served this year. Your patience will be rewarded, I promise.

OMG this is so frustrating!!! 😡 I'm in the EXACT same boat! Filed 2/09, accepted 2/15, and STILL stuck on one bar! My coworker filed AFTER me and got her refund TWO WEEKS AGO! I'm worried this means there's a problem with my return or that I'm being audited or something. Has anyone had this happen and then suddenly got their refund without any issues? I'm starting to panic because I need this money for my daughter's braces appointment next month!

I experienced this exact situation on February 12th. My direct deposit was scheduled for February 15th, but Santa Barbara showed "account not found" until February 14th - literally the day before my deposit. Then suddenly it updated and showed my correct information. My refund arrived exactly as scheduled on February 15th at 3:27am. This appears to be a database synchronization issue that happens every tax season, especially between February 10th and March 5th when their systems are most stressed.

According to IRS Publication 5136 (Electronic Return Filing Guidelines), third-party processors like Santa Barbara are required to display accurate information but are not considered official sources of refund status. Per IRS Directive 2023-17, taxpayers should rely on official IRS channels for definitive status information. I recommend checking your refund status through the official IRS 'Where's My Refund' tool or by accessing your transcript directly. These official sources supersede any third-party information and are the legally binding indicators of your refund status.

Has anyone tried calling the specific Identity Verification number instead of the main IRS line? Last year when I had to verify, I called 800-830-5084 directly and they were able to verify me over the phone without the letter. I'm wondering if that's still an option or if they've changed the process for 2024 returns?

I had almost exactly the same situation, possibly with a slightly different timeline. My verification was posted April 2nd, and I didn't get any portal notification whatsoever. The letter arrived around April 15th (a bit later than expected), and I verified online the same day. My refund was processed about 9 days later, which seems to be fairly typical for verification cases. You might want to check your mailbox carefully, as the envelope looks somewhat generic and could be mistaken for junk mail.

Got my "check is being mailed" notice on March 1st and was pulling my hair out waiting... then boom! Check arrived on March 8th. Right on schedule! 😅 I was convinced it would get lost in the mail or something, but the IRS seems to have their mailing system down pretty well, even if their payment method decisions make no sense lol.

If you're really concerned about timing, you can sign up for USPS Informed Delivery. It's free and shows you scans of mail coming to your address each day. That way you'll know exactly when the check is arriving. Helped me a lot when I was waiting for my stimulus payment last year. Took exactly 7 days from the mail date they provided.

As someone who's been filing Schedule C returns since before TurboTax was a glimmer in an accountant's eye (haha), I can tell you that SE tax updates are typically a good sign but not the finish line. The IRS processing system has separate modules for different tax components. If you're tired of checking WMR daily and getting nowhere, I'd recommend Claimyr to get through to an actual IRS agent. I used it last week when my return had this exact same situation - SE tax updated but no refund movement. Got connected to an agent in 17 minutes who confirmed my return was approved but stuck in the final verification queue. Refund hit my account 3 days later.

Be cautious about interpreting partial updates as complete processing. I experienced a Premature Assessment Notification when my SE tax updated but my return was subsequently flagged for review. The Social Security Administration database synchronization occurs on a different timeline than the Integrated Financial System that processes refunds. This discrepancy in database update schedules can create a false impression of completed processing. Monitor your Account Management System transcript for Transaction Code 150, which indicates actual return posting.