As of April 2nd, 2024, the National Association of Tax Professionals publishes fee guidelines that suggest $200-400 for standard returns and up to $600 for complex situations with multiple schedules. Your $700+ fee would only be justified if you have business income (Schedule C), rental properties (Schedule E), complex investments, or multiple state filings. If you're just filing a 1040 with standard deduction, you're definitely overpaying. I'd request an itemized invoice and compare to published rate guidelines. If he can't justify the fees, you could negotiate down or find another preparer for next year.

I switched from TurboTax to a professional last year and back again this year. The professional charged me $450 for what was basically the same return I did myself for $120 this year. What I learned is that many tax pros charge by the form, not by the hour. My guy charged $75 for the base 1040 and then $50-100 for EACH additional schedule or form. It adds up fast. Ask your preparer for a breakdown of charges by form, and next year you can decide which forms are worth paying for help with.

Have you checked if your state return has been processed yet? Sometimes there's a correlation between state and federal processing times for self-employed filers. I've noticed with my clients that when the state processes first, the federal 846 code often appears within 7-10 days afterward.

I've worked with several clients with EINs who filed Schedule C and had the 0505 cycle code this year. According to Internal Revenue Manual 21.4.1.3(1), returns with Schedule C income above certain thresholds undergo additional verification procedures. One client who filed on February 1st just received their 846 code yesterday after 47 days in processing. Their return included home office deductions, vehicle expenses, and depreciation - yet no audit or review was conducted. It's surprising how the IRS seems to be treating routine business returns with such extended timeframes this year without any formal explanation to taxpayers!

Be aware that there's a potential technical issue affecting Refund Transfer processing this year. The Application Programming Interface (API) between the IRS Direct Deposit system and some third-party processors experienced intermittent failures during the 2/22-2/26 batch processing window. This can cause an additional 24-72 hour delay beyond normal processing times. If your WMR status shows "Refund Sent" but your bank shows no pending deposit by 2/28, I recommend contacting H&R Block's dedicated Refund Transfer support line at their customer service number and requesting a trace on your specific Refund Transfer ID. They can provide visibility into which processing stage your refund is currently in.

Just to clarify something important - the date you see on WMR is when the IRS releases the funds, not necessarily when they'll hit your account. Think of it like the IRS putting your refund in the mail on that date (electronic mail, but still 😂). With H&R Block's fees being taken out, there's that extra step where they get the money first, take their cut, then send the rest to you. I learned this lesson the hard way last year when I'd already mentally spent my refund before it arrived! The good news is it's almost certainly coming, just on bank time not IRS time.

I might be in the minority here, but sometimes it's better to just wait it out rather than spending money on calling services or paying for transcript analysis. In most cases, the 570 code resolves itself within 2-3 weeks without any intervention needed. I'd suggest giving it at least 7-10 days before taking any action, especially if you haven't received a letter from the IRS yet. Just my two cents from someone who's been through this process multiple times.

How long has it been since you filed? And have you checked if there are any other codes besides the 570? The community here has noticed that 570 codes that appear by themselves often clear up faster than ones that come with other codes. Would you mind sharing when you filed and when the 570 appeared? That might help us give you better advice about what to expect next.

I'm not entirely convinced there's a reliable way to predict state offsets in advance. The Treasury Offset Program (TOP) for federal refunds has a dedicated hotline (800-304-3107), but most states don't maintain equivalent systems with real-time data. Wouldn't the most definitive approach be to contact any agencies where you might have outstanding balances directly?

State offset programs exist. They're legitimate. Most states participate. They intercept tax refunds. They apply them to debts. This includes child support. Also court fines. Even utility bills sometimes. Your best option? Call directly. Ask specifically about offsets. Request a debt verification letter. Document everything. Keep all records.

According to the Refund Cycle Chart published in the IRM Section 21.4.1, returns filed between February 11-17 that don't require additional review should complete processing by cycle 20240805, which ends March 22nd. Have you checked your Account Transcript specifically? Sometimes the Return Transcript shows N/A while the Account Transcript shows processing codes like TC 150 or pending transaction codes like TC 570/571.

Word of warning - last yr I filed Feb 15, got accepted same day, but my refund got stuck in ERS (Error Resolution System) for 11 wks! No explanation, no transcript updates, nothing. WMR just said "still processing" the whole time. Then suddenly one day - BOOM - transcript updated and got my $$ 3 days later. IRS never told me why it was delayed. If ur return has ANY discrepancies between ur reported income and what employers reported, it can trigger manual review. Patience is key rn, but def keep checking transcripts weekly.

I want to share that I went through this exact situation last month. I spoke calmly but firmly with the tax company, and explained that I understood my rights regarding the refund advance. I was nervous about confronting them, but they actually released my state refund right away. Sometimes they're just hoping you don't know better. I know how stressful money problems can be, especially when you're counting on that refund for important expenses.

Check the FTC website about this issue: https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/tax-refund-loans. They clearly state that refund advances should only be repaid from federal refunds unless explicitly stated otherwise. I fought this battle last year and won by sending a certified letter citing this guidance. Take screenshots of your account showing any pending state refund they're holding, and document all communication. The threat of regulatory action often gets fast results.

The Treasury Offset Program (TOP) typically processes the remaining refund within 7-14 business days after the offset notification. However, there are several factors that can influence this timeline. The Refund Processing System (RPS) needs to recalculate your adjusted refund amount, which then gets routed through the Automated Clearing House (ACH) for direct deposit or through the Check Issuance System for paper checks. Your state's Department of Revenue should have a dedicated phone line for offset inquiries, which would be your best resource for a more precise timeline. Rest assured, the remaining amount is still being processed.

Have you tried checking your state's tax department website? According to taxadmin.org, most states have an online portal where you can track refund status similar to the IRS "Where's My Refund" tool. Does your offset notice have any specific code or reference number you can use to track it online?

I'd be careful about reading too much into these patterns! 😬 The IRS doesn't always follow predictable calendars for processing. While we often try to spot patterns, sometimes what looks like a skipped date is just how their internal batching works. I've seen this happen in previous years too - certain dates seem to get skipped but it doesn't necessarily mean anything is wrong with your return.

Last year I thought I'd cracked the code on IRS deposit dates too... spent hours on tax forums tracking patterns only to have my refund show up on a completely random Tuesday that didn't match any pattern! 😂 My theory is they just roll a 20-sided die at the IRS office to decide when to release our money lol. But seriously, my business return took exactly 47 days last year despite all the pattern-watching I did.

TurboTax doesn't receive your refund at all. The IRS sends it directly to your bank account on the date they specified. If you chose to pay TurboTax fees from your refund, only then does it go through a temporary account first. This is clearly explained in their terms when you choose that payment option. You can always log into your TurboTax account and check the refund status there for more details about your specific situation.

I filed through TurboTax on January 29th this year and had a DD date of February 8th. My refund appeared in my account on February 8th at exactly 3:17am. I did NOT pay my TurboTax fees from my refund - I paid upfront with a credit card. This is important because when you pay fees from your refund, your money goes through Santa Barbara TPG first, adding 1-3 business days. I've found that paying the fees upfront always results in getting the money exactly on the IRS date.