"Action Required" Message on 2024 Tax Transcript - Should I Wait For IRS Notice or Respond Now?

Just checked my transcript for tax year 2024 and got this weird "Action Required" message at 7:14. The IRS says "We received your tax return and are reviewing it. If we need additional information, we'll mail a notice with further instructions." They're telling me they're reviewing my return and might need more info to process my full refund. The message also says "If you've already received a notice, please follow the instructions" and "If we determine no additional information is needed, we'll continue to process your refund." Here's the exact message I'm seeing on my transcript: 7:14 86 Tax year 2024 ! Action Required Please read the following information related to your tax situation. You may need to provide additional information to receive your full refund. We received your tax return and are reviewing it. If we need additional information, we'll mail a notice with further instructions. If you've already received a notice, please follow the instructions. If we determine no additional information is needed, we'll continue to process your refund. Your personal tax information I'm really confused about what I should do here. The message has that alarming "Action Required" header with an exclamation mark, but then it basically just says they're reviewing my return and might contact me later? Does this mean there's already a problem with my return? Anyone else seeing this message on their transcript for tax year 2024? Not sure if I should do something proactive now or just wait for them to mail me a notice. The whole thing has me a bit nervous about my refund status - I was counting on that money coming through without any delays.

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16 comments

Natalia Stone

•10M

The IRS message you received at 7:14 appears to be an automated initial review notification for your 2024 tax return. The "Action Required" header might seem alarming, but the actual content indicates this is a preliminary notice rather than an immediate demand for action. The key components of the message are: 1. Your return is under review (standard procedure) 2. IF more information is needed, you'll receive a mailed notice 3. IF you haven't received a notice yet, no action is required 4. IF you already have a notice, follow those specific instructions This type of review message is particularly common early in the tax season. The "86" code visible in your screenshot is likely an internal IRS processing code, but doesn't affect what you need to do. The important thing is to wait for any official mailed correspondence before taking action - don't try to preemptively send information based on this digital notice alone. The mention of "full refund" in the message suggests the IRS might be verifying certain deductions or credits you've claimed, but this doesn't necessarily mean there's a problem with your return. It's simply part of their standard verification process.

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Rebecca Johnston

•2M

I had the exact same "Action Required" message show up on my 2024 transcript last week! Really freaked me out at first because of that exclamation mark, but after doing some research and talking to a tax pro friend, it seems like this is just their new way of saying "we're processing your return and might need to verify some stuff." From what I understand, the IRS is being extra cautious this year with identity verification and certain credits (like EITC, CTC, etc.). The 714 timestamp you mentioned is pretty standard - that's usually when their system updates overnight. I'm in week 2 of waiting and haven't received any mail notice yet. My "Where's My Refund" tool still just says "being processed" but at least the transcript shows they received it. Trying not to stress about it since everyone here seems to say it usually works out fine. @Bruno that's solid advice about checking mail daily - definitely don't want to miss an actual notice if one comes!

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Evelyn Kim

•18h

I got the same exact message on my 2024 transcript! The "Action Required" wording definitely caught me off guard too, but after reading through all these responses I'm feeling a lot more confident that it's just standard processing stuff. What's helping me stay calm is remembering that if they actually NEEDED something from me right now, they would have been way more specific about what to do. The fact that the message basically says "we'll contact you IF we need something" tells me they're still working through their review process. I filed about 10 days ago and have been obsessively checking my transcript daily (probably not helping my stress levels lol). But seeing that other people are in the same boat and that some folks from last year never even got a follow-up notice is reassuring. Going to try to stop checking every day and just focus on watching my mail for the next few weeks. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is such a lifesaver during tax season! 🙏

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