Direct Deposit Refund Status - Still Nothing at 6PM on Deposit Date?

The IRS is like a restaurant that promises your food in 20 minutes but actually delivers whenever they feel like it. While your transcript might show today's date, it's more of a guideline than a guarantee. In my experience, the money can drop anytime from midnight to midnight, and sometimes even a day or two later. Banks process these deposits differently too - some show pending deposits, others don't show anything until it fully clears. I'd probably wait until tomorrow morning before getting too concerned, though I understand why you're frustrated.

I would suggest, if you haven't already, checking your transcript details with https://taxr.ai to get a better understanding of what might be happening. It's possible, though not certain, that there could be a secondary review happening or perhaps a slight delay in the banking system. I had a similar situation last year where my deposit was scheduled but didn't arrive until nearly 8PM. The tool helped me understand that the 846 code with today's date typically means it's sent, but banking processing times can vary quite significantly. I found it really helpful to see the exact explanation of my transcript codes rather than just guessing.

This happens with tax refunds way more often than with regular paychecks. My sister and I filed on the same day, both got the same deposit date, but hers hit at 2am and mine didn't come until 7pm. It's just how the system works - unlike regular direct deposits that usually post at consistent times. If your transcript shows today with code 846, the money is coming, but the banking system isn't as instant as we want it to be.

According to the IRS Direct Deposit FAQ on their website, refunds can post anytime during their scheduled day, and some banks don't process them until overnight batch processing. If you're still concerned, I'd recommend using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to get through to an IRS agent quickly. I used it on February 28th when my refund was showing as sent but hadn't arrived after 2 days. Got connected to an agent in under 30 minutes who confirmed it was sent and gave me the exact tracking information I needed for my bank. Saved me hours of redial attempts and the agent was able to initiate a trace when I explained the situation.

On March 22nd, I had this exact same issue - transcript showed deposit date but nothing in my account at 5pm. What worked for me was checking with my bank rather than the IRS. Some banks (especially credit unions) have specific processing windows for government deposits. Mine actually had the money but hadn't posted it to my account yet. When I called, they confirmed they'd received it and would post it by end of day. Worth checking your bank's policy on ACH government deposits!

Just wanted to share a success story - had the EXACT same situation last week. Transcript showed 846 code with deposit date of 4/11, but nothing in my account all day. I was panicking by 5pm, but it finally hit my account at 8:37pm! The IRS batch processing system sends these out in waves throughout the day, and then each financial institution processes them according to their own schedule. Your money is almost certainly on the way - just caught in the financial system pipeline.