I might be able to provide some helpful context here. My grandmother, who primarily relies on Social Security, encountered a somewhat similar situation. She didn't receive her second Child Tax Credit payment, which was possibly due to an address change we had submitted. We essentially had to file a 1040 for her, even though she normally wouldn't need to file. The process was relatively straightforward, but there were a few potential complications: 1. If your mom has dependent children still qualifying for the credit, you'll need their information 2. She might need to create an online account with the IRS to verify previous payments 3. The IRS might request verification of eligibility if this is a newer situation

I helped my uncle through this exact situation last year. The IRS actually has a specific process for non-filers who need to claim missing credits. I created an account on the IRS website, downloaded his tax transcripts, and confirmed which payments he had received. Then we filed a simple return claiming just the missing credit. It took about 23 days from filing to receiving the payment. One thing to watch for - if your mom has moved or changed bank accounts since the first payment, make sure to update that information on the return to avoid further delays.

Be careful about counting on refund timing. My brother got his deposit notification. Money showed pending. Bank put a 5-day hold on it. Then IRS pulled it back due to verification issues. Took 2 more months to resolve. Don't spend it until it's fully cleared your account and the hold period is over.

Did you have any credits that might have delayed processing? Step 1: Did you claim EITC? Step 2: Any Child Tax Credit? Step 3: Recovery Rebate Credit from previous years? Step 4: Education credits? I'm trying to figure out why some people get theirs so quickly while others wait months...

I waited 9 weeks last year, and when I finally got through to the IRS, they just told me it was "in process" and to keep waiting. This year I used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to get through to an agent after waiting 5 weeks. Got connected in about 15 minutes instead of spending hours on hold. The agent was able to tell me exactly what was happening and when to expect my refund. Worth every penny to not sit on hold for 3+ hours.

Have you checked your account transcript on the IRS website? Sometimes that will show pending refund info even when WMR doesn't update. Look for an 846 code with a date - that's your refund date.

Topic 152 is just a general refund information topic - not bad at all. But if you're really concerned and want definitive answers, calling the IRS directly is your best bet. I spent 3 hours on hold last week before hanging up, then tried https://Claimyr.com and got connected to an agent in about 15 minutes. They confirmed my return was just in normal processing despite my bars disappearing. Totally worth it for the peace of mind.

The PATH Act delays refunds with certain credits until at least February 15th, and that's just when they START releasing them. With the CTC you mentioned, your return is likely just in the verification queue. Most people with disappeared bars and Topic 152 get their refunds within 7-14 days after that happens.

I remember last year when I used H&R Block, they had a similar verification process that confused me. From what I've gathered from tax forums, these extra verification steps are actually beneficial - they're checking for common errors that trigger IRS reviews. In my previous experience, the returns that went through these extra checks actually processed faster because they had fewer issues when they reached the IRS. Have you tried checking your tax transcript directly from the IRS website? That might give you more insight than WMR.

According to the TurboTax support forum at https://ttlc.intuit.com/, this is a known issue with the 2024 software. It's related to their enhanced error-checking algorithm. The forum suggests this happens most often with returns claiming certain credits or with self-employment income. It doesn't cause delays by itself, but it might be flagging something in your return that could cause a delay. Check out the IRS processing issues page at https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-operations for current known processing delays.