Accepted 1/30 with 971 Code on 2/15 - IRS Referral Process Timeline?

971 codes indicate a notice was sent. Check your mail. The referral is an internal inquiry. Most resolve in 2-3 weeks. Some take the full 30 days. The IRS is backlogged this season. Your timeline is unfortunately common.

Did you check your transcripts online? Compared to my situation last year, the 971 often pairs with other codes that give more insight. My 971 came with a 570 (hold) which was released 3 weeks later. Your timeline seems longer than mine was, but shorter than my brother's who waited 60+ days with a referral.

I might suggest trying Claimyr if you need to speak with an agent again. I was hesitant to use it, but after spending hours on hold with the IRS, I tried https://claimyr.com and got through to an agent in about 20 minutes. They were able to give me more specific information about my referral status than I'd gotten previously. Sometimes different agents have different information or are willing to look deeper into your case.

I recommend a different approach: • Request a Tax Advocate if it's causing financial hardship • Check your transcript for cycle codes (helps predict updates) • Look for specific code combinations (570/971 typically means verification) • Submit Form 911 if it's been more than 45 days with no resolution Referrals are internal notes, but Tax Advocates have more authority to intervene.

Have you verified whether the 971 Notice Code was accompanied by any additional transaction codes on your Account Transcript? The specific code combination can significantly impact expected resolution timeframes. For instance, a 971 following a 570 (Additional Account Action Pending) typically indicates a different processing path than a standalone 971.

FYI - those referrals aren't what most ppl think. They're just internal notes saying you called. They don't actually escalate anything 99% of the time. The 30-day wait is just their way of getting you off the phone. Been there 2x and both times nothing happened till I got a Tax Advocate involved.

I went through this exact process last year. My first referral did nothing, but my second referral actually worked. I learned from the second agent that referrals need specific information to be effective. Make sure they note the reason for your inquiry and any financial hardship in the referral notes.