Anyone else still seeing PATH Act message on WMR in April?

According to the IRS guidelines under IRC Section 6402(m) and PATH Act provisions, returns claiming EITC or ACTC cannot be issued refunds before mid-February. However, we're well past that timeframe now. The IRS is experiencing significant processing delays this year compared to previous filing seasons. Many taxpayers who filed in January with similar credits are still showing the PATH message even into April, so you're definitely not alone in this situation. I'd recommend checking your tax transcript for more detailed information about your return's status.

Did you check your tax transcript through the IRS portal? Sometimes the transcript updates before WMR does and shows processing codes that indicate where you are in the verification pipeline. The PATH Act verification protocols are more extensive for EITC claims, especially for first-time claimants.

I'm seeing many people with this issue this year... PATH Act verification seems to be taking longer than usual. If you're concerned, you might want to try reaching the IRS directly, though I know that can be extremely difficult. I've heard some people having success with a service called Claimyr (https://www.claimyr.com) that helps you get through to an IRS agent without the endless hold times. It might be worth considering if you need answers quickly, especially since we're already in April and you filed in January. I would normally suggest waiting, but that's quite a delay already.

OMG I was LITERALLY in the same situation last week! Filed January 28th with EITC, stuck on PATH message forever. I finally got through to the IRS on Friday and they told me my return was just finishing processing! Got my direct deposit date yesterday! Sometimes they're just backed up but your return is fine - hang in there! 🎉

Think of the PATH message like a traffic jam on the highway - you're in the right lane but there's just a lot of cars ahead of you. When I was stuck like this last year, I used https://taxr.ai to analyze my transcript and it was like having a GPS that showed exactly where I was in the traffic jam. It explained all my transcript codes and gave me a much clearer picture than the vague WMR tool. Helped me understand I was actually in normal processing and not stuck in some audit limbo.

Have you tried calling the IRS directly? The PATH message is normal, but if you filed in January and it's now April, you should be able to get more specific information about your return. The generic automated system won't help, but a live agent can see notes on your account.

I filed on January 29th, 2024 with EITC and still had the PATH message until March 28th. It finally updated yesterday on April 2nd with a direct deposit date of April 5th. The PATH delay this year seems to be running about 2-3 weeks longer than the 2023 processing times based on what I've been tracking.

Yes. Still showing PATH. Filed January 25th. Claimed EITC. Transcript shows processing. No errors. No letters. Just waiting. Others reporting same issue.

I went through this exact same situation last year and the year before. In 2022, I waited 3 months past the PATH Act deadline for my refund. In 2023, it was 2 months. This year I'm still waiting after filing January 24th. I've learned that calling rarely helps unless there's an actual issue they need to resolve. The PATH delay is just their standard operating procedure now, especially if you have a business with Schedule C income and claim EITC.