Tax pro here. There's def confusion in this thread. The IRS doesn't offer EITC advances directly. What you've likely applied for is an RAL (Refund Anticipation Loan) through your prep software. These aren't IRS products but 3rd-party loans based on your expected refund. The approval process is handled by the lender, not the IRS. Check your filing confirmation emails for info about the loan provider and contact them directly. They'll have a separate approval process that has nothing to do with your transcript codes.

This whole EITC advance situation is a mess every year! 😂 I've gone through this rodeo before and learned it's all about who you filed with, not the IRS. H&R Block, TurboTax, etc. all have different "advance" programs with different lenders and timelines. The IRS transcript won't show anything about these because they're private loans. Best community wisdom: check who the actual lender is (usually buried in the fine print of what you signed) and contact them directly. Your tax preparer is just the middleman and often knows nothing about the loan status.

Have you considered these important factors for gig workers?: • Self-employment tax (15.3% on net earnings) • Quarterly estimated tax payments • Business expense deductions • Potential home office deduction Also, how much have you already had withheld or paid in estimated taxes this year? That's the critical piece to determine if you'll owe more.

I'm a bit confused about your question - are you asking if you'll owe taxes when you file your 2023 return now, or are you planning ahead for 2024? And when you say "pay back" - are you concerned about having to repay tax credits you've already received, or just whether you'll owe additional tax when you file?

The community wisdom on this is pretty consistent: filed returns with dependents that were accepted in January 2024 are taking exactly 21-35 days to process for most people. I've tracked 42 different posts about this issue since January 15th, and 38 of them reported their transcripts updated suddenly after showing nothing for weeks. Only 4 had actual issues requiring further action. The statistics strongly suggest you're in the normal processing group.

Last week my client was in identical situation. Filed January 19. One dependent. Blank transcript until February 13. Refund deposited February 16. No issues. No explanation for delay. Just normal processing time. Don't worry yet.

I was just as methodical as you last year, trying to figure out the perfect time to check. I had my calendar marked with the PATH Act date and everything! Then I discovered that the IRS2Go app sends notifications when your return status changes. Saved me from constantly checking the website. I was surprised by how much more complex the whole process is than it needs to be - the app doesn't tell you about transcript updates specifically, but at least it alerts you when your refund status changes.

I think, maybe, you should be somewhat cautious about checking too early. Last year, I filed with EITC on January 25th, and my transcript didn't appear until around February 22nd or so, which was kind of frustrating. The PATH Act seems to create sort of a backlog that might take a while to clear, from what I've observed. The IRS probably, in my opinion, processes these returns in batches rather than immediately after the 15th, though I could be wrong about that.

I went through this exact situation. The IRS website (irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed) has a whole section on self-employment tax obligations. According to TurboTax's estimator, with $18k and two dependents, you're looking at a decent refund if those are your only income sources. But don't count on others' situations - tax circumstances vary wildly. I've seen people with identical incomes get completely different refunds based on their specific deductions and credits.

Let me share my *totally hypothetical* 😉 experience from last year with similar numbers. Made about $19.5k in self-employment income, have two kids, and got back around $4,800. The key is keeping good records of all business expenses - mileage, home office (if applicable), supplies, insurance, phone bills, etc. I was worried about an audit too, but my accountant explained that the IRS is mostly looking for major discrepancies, not small businesses reporting reasonable income and deductions. Just don't claim your trip to Hawaii as a "business expense" and you should be fine!