Be careful about assuming everything is fine. On January 25, 2023, I filed electronically and had a similar 'no return filed' message. I waited until February 28th before taking action, and discovered my return had been rejected on January 26th due to an AGI verification issue. The rejection notice went to my spam folder, and by the time I resubmitted, I had missed the deadline for a business tax credit. The IRS doesn't always proactively notify you when there's a problem - as of March 15, 2024, I'm still dealing with the fallout from last year's issue.

Can you check if your return included any special forms or schedules? For example, I had a client who filed on January 31st with a Schedule C, Form 8949 for crypto transactions, and Form 8962 for premium tax credits. His transcript showed nothing for 24 days, then suddenly appeared complete. Some forms trigger additional verification processes that aren't visible to us as taxpayers.

I've successfully navigated this situation this tax season. What you're experiencing is the standard procedure for Refund Advance products. The Electronic Return Originator (ERO) - in this case TurboTax - coordinates with Santa Barbara Tax Products Group (SBTPG) as the Refund Settlement Provider. Your refund's Designated Financial Institution (DFI) routing has been preset to direct to SBTPG, who already disbursed funds to you. The inability to track via SBTPG's portal is normal because your transaction is classified as completed in their system. Your IRS cycle code and processing are still occurring normally behind the scenes.

Just to clarify something I found on TurboTax's support page (https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support): When you choose the refund advance option, SBTPG creates a temporary bank account where your refund will be deposited. The advance is given based on your expected refund, and when the actual refund arrives, it goes to that temporary account. According to their FAQ, you can still check your refund status on the IRS Where's My Refund tool or the IRS2Go app, but the SBTPG tracking won't work because they've already processed your advance payment.

Based on IRS processing statistics, approximately 27.4% of returns with ITINs are experiencing extended processing times this tax season. The average wait time has increased from 21 days to 47 days for these returns. This isn't just anecdotal - it's a systemic issue affecting international filers disproportionately. I'm skeptical of any quick-fix solutions being suggested. Your best approach is to request a Tax Account Transcript (not just a Return Transcript) and look for TC 570/971 combination codes which would indicate a specific issue.

Here's what you need to do in this situation: 1. First, verify your return was actually accepted by checking your e-file confirmation. 2. Check both your Return Transcript AND Account Transcript for any indicators. 3. If it's been more than 21 days, use the "Where's My Refund" tool for status updates. 4. After 45 days, you're entitled to call the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service. 5. Document all your communication attempts with the IRS. 6. If you have financial hardship, specifically mention this when contacting them. 7. Check if your state return has processed - sometimes this provides clues. Remember that ITIN processing can take longer, but that doesn't mean there's a problem with your return. The system is simply overloaded this year.

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.