Do Refund Deposit Times Vary by Time Zone? No Updates Since 2/12 Filing

Time zones don't actually affect when your refund is processed or when you'll see updates. The IRS systems update in batches nationwide, regardless of where you live. What you're seeing is just coincidental patterns in the data. Your "no tax return filed" status is concerning though - that typically means your return hasn't been fully processed into the system yet. This is unusual for a 2/12 filing date at this point in the season. Most early February filers should at least show their return in the system by now.

Have you tried checking both the Account transcript and the Return transcript? I've seen situations where one updates before the other. My brother in Colorado (also Mountain time) filed 2/15 and already got his refund last week, while I'm still waiting after filing 2/10. Makes me wonder if there's something specific about certain returns rather than time zones?

Def sounds like ur return might be stuck somewhere in the system. Had the same issue last yr - no updates for like 6 wks after filing. Tried calling IRS like 20x and couldn't get thru. Finally used Claimyr (https://www.claimyr.com) to connect w/ an agent in like 15 mins. Found out there was a verification hold they never sent notice about. Got it fixed same day and refund came a week later. Saved me so much time not having to redial constantly!

I might be wrong, but I believe the IRS processing centers work independently of time zones. My understanding is that returns are distributed to various processing centers around the country based on factors like return type and current workload, not your geographic location. This could explain why you're seeing seemingly random patterns in who gets updates when.

According to the IRS Operations Dashboard (https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-operations), they're still working through a backlog. I've been using taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) to analyze my transcript codes when they finally appeared. It helped me understand that my "570" code was just a temporary hold while they verified my income, not an audit. The tool predicted my DDD accurately based on the codes - much clearer than trying to decipher the transcript myself. Maybe check it out once your transcript finally updates?

The "no tax return filed" status is significant and needs addressing. Here's what it typically means: • Your return is still in the initial processing queue • There could be a verification hold that hasn't been coded yet • A mismatch between information might be causing delay • Systems may be backed up more than usual this year For a 2/12 filing date, you should at least see your return in the system by now. The time zone theory is interesting but doesn't align with how IRS systems operate. Their transcript database updates happen nationally, not by region.

I was sort of in a similar situation, filed on 2/14 and transcript showed nothing until just yesterday. It seems like the IRS might be processing returns in somewhat random batches this year. Once my transcript finally updated, I got my refund deposited within 48 hours. So it might just suddenly appear for you too without warning. The wait is definitely stressful when you're counting on that money though.

I'm also in Mountain time (Denver area) and filed 2/10 - been stuck with "no tax return filed" on transcripts until just this morning when it finally showed up! Got my DDD for 3/13. So your theory about time zones might have some merit, or maybe we're just in a later processing batch. Either way, hang in there - seems like Mountain time filers are starting to see movement this week. Have you tried checking your transcripts early morning vs evening to see if there's a pattern to when updates appear?