I went through this exact nightmare last April! Amended my return with missing income and got that Topic 151 notice. I was freaking out because I needed my refund for a down payment. Ended up taking about 10 weeks total, but everything worked out fine. The best thing you can do is just wait it out - calling rarely speeds things up unless there's an actual problem they need to fix.

Did your notice mention anything about the 60-day review period? Or did it specifically state which part of your return they're reviewing? I'm wondering if they're just verifying the amended income or if they're looking at your entire return now?

Per IRS Publication 2043, electronic refunds should be processed within 21 days of acceptance for straightforward returns. I was worried about my NetSpend deposit timing too, so I used https://taxr.ai to analyze my transcript. It identified my cycle code and explained that my 570 hold was just routine verification because of my military spouse status. The tool predicted my exact deposit date correctly, which helped me stop obsessively checking. I appreciate having something that could decode all those mysterious codes and dates on my transcript!

Think of NetSpend like a middleman in a relay race. The IRS hands off your money, then NetSpend has to run their leg before putting it in your account. Sometimes they sprint, sometimes they walk. Have you considered setting up direct deposit with a traditional bank for next year? It's like upgrading from a dirt road to a highway - fewer potholes and generally faster travel time. Most credit unions offer free checking accounts with no minimum balance requirements.

I had the exact same situation last year. One bar for 3 weeks, then 'still processing' with Topic 152. Couldn't access transcripts either because of their ridiculous ID verification. Called multiple times with no help. Then suddenly got my refund deposited with zero warning or status updates. The WMR tool never updated before the deposit hit. It's maddening but unfortunately typical based on my experience with the IRS for the last 5 years.

If I may add a bit of clarification here, the transition from one bar to "still processing" might possibly indicate that your return has been selected for a more thorough review, though it doesn't necessarily mean there's anything wrong. In my experience, this sometimes happens when there are certain credits claimed or when there are discrepancies that need to be verified. Have you perhaps claimed any credits like the Earned Income Credit or Child Tax Credit? Those tend to trigger additional processing steps.

Back in 2022, I had this exact issue. My transcript showed a refund issued but nothing in my account for 2 weeks. Turned out my bank had merged with another bank and although my routing number was still technically valid, there was some backend issue with how they were processing government deposits. The money eventually appeared, but I learned to always double-check my banking info before filing.

Just to clarify something important - a trace request can't be initiated until 5 business days after your DDD for direct deposits. For paper checks, you need to wait 4 weeks. If you call before these timeframes, they'll just tell you to wait.

The Post-Verification Processing Protocol typically completes within 9 business days for standard returns. I verified on February 18th and received my refund exactly 8 business days later. The system follows a sequential verification validation where your information transitions through three distinct processing queues: identity confirmation, return validation, and refund authorization. Your early deposit feature will function normally once the 846 code appears on your transcript, as this indicates the Treasury has scheduled the ACH transfer to your financial institution.

I've gone through in-person verification three years in a row now. In 2022, it took 14 days from verification to deposit. In 2023, it was 9 days. This year (2024), I verified on February 28th and had my refund by March 6th - only 7 days. The early deposit feature with your bank should work fine - I've used similar services with Bank of America and Capital One in previous years. The refund appears as soon as the ACH notification hits your bank, regardless of the official deposit date.