Did you receive any email confirmation when your advance was denied? Did it specifically mention how the fees would be refunded? What date did you file and when was the advance officially denied?

What if I told you this happens every single year and is practically built into their business model? How many people give up after calling a few times and just write off the $39-89 in fees? Millions. Now multiply that by even a small percentage of filers who don't pursue refunds aggressively. It's a substantial amount of money they're holding onto for weeks or months. I've been preparing taxes professionally for 8 years and always advise clients against these advance products for this exact reason. The convenience rarely outweighs the headaches when anything goes wrong - and something goes wrong for about 15-20% of applicants based on what I've seen.

Have you checked the "Where's My Amended Return" tool on IRS.gov recently? According to the IRS.gov processing timelines page, they're currently showing processing times of 20+ weeks for amended returns filed in 2023. If you're beyond that window, did you receive any correspondence from the IRS requesting additional information? Sometimes amendments get stuck because they're waiting for a response that may have been lost in the mail.

I had a similar situation with an amended 2020 return that took 13 months to process. Per Internal Revenue Manual 21.5.3.4.6.1, amended returns are generally processed in the order received, but certain conditions can cause delays. My 2021 and 2022 returns processed normally during this time. According to IRC § 6402(a), the IRS can only offset your refund against outstanding tax liabilities, not pending amendments. File your 2023 return as normal - it should process independently.

This is total BS. The IRS and these tax prep companies can't get their stories straight. I bet if you called the IRS directly they'd give you a THIRD different date. I had this exact issue last year and spent weeks trying to figure out which date was correct. Turns out NONE of them were! The IRS had a completely different internal date they were working from.

According to the IRS Processing Guidelines (available at irs.gov/refunds/processing-timeline), what you're experiencing is normal, especially for returns with self-employment income. The IRS systems and third-party processors like TPG often show different dates because they're tracking different events in the process. Based on the IRS2Go app forums and IRS Refund Status threads on Reddit, many self-employed filers are seeing similar patterns this year. The disappearing bars on WMR typically indicate your return has moved to the next processing stage. According to historical patterns, most returns in your situation receive their refund within 7-14 days after this status change.

I filed on February 13th, 2024 and was in the same situation until March 30th. What worked for me was requesting a Tax Return Transcript instead of an Account Transcript. For some reason, my Return Transcript showed up first, even though everyone says it should be the opposite. Also, check your transcript between 3-6am on Wednesdays and Thursdays - that's when the IRS system typically updates according to the cycle codes. I noticed my transcript finally appeared at 4:27am on a Thursday morning after showing N/A for weeks. If you're desperate and need your refund for bills, you might consider applying for the Taxpayer Advocate Service. They can help if you're facing financial hardship due to refund delays.

I was in this exact situation last year. Filed February 12th, 2023 and had absolutely nothing on my transcript until March 28th. I remember checking obsessively every day and driving myself crazy. What I learned from that experience: IRS processing doesn't follow any logical pattern we can discern. Some people who filed after me got their refunds weeks earlier. This year I filed February 15th, 2024, and had the same empty transcript situation until yesterday. Suddenly everything updated at once, and my direct deposit is scheduled for April 17th. No explanation for the delay, no issues with my return. My advice based on two years of this: the system works eventually, just not on any timeline that makes sense to us mere mortals.

Have you considered using taxr.ai to analyze your transcript? I was in a similar situation after verifying my identity last month and couldn't make sense of all the codes and dates. The tool explained that my 570 code was specifically related to the identity verification process and not an actual audit flag. It also predicted my DDD would appear within 7-10 days based on my cycle code, which turned out to be accurate. Might be worth checking out if you're trying to understand where exactly your return is stuck in the process?

The verification process this year seems significantly slower compared to previous years. In 2023, my post-verification wait was only 12 days. In 2022, it was about 18 days. This year, many people in my tax preparer community are reporting 30+ days after verification before seeing movement. The IRS has implemented additional security measures in their processing pipeline, especially for returns filed in January. If you claimed certain credits like EITC or CTC, that adds another layer of review. Unfortunately, there's not much you can do except wait or try to reach an agent who might be able to provide more specific information about your case status.