E-filed Jan 20th: Where's My Refund shows acceptance but transcript shows nothing - PATH delay until Feb 19th

This is actually very common, especially for returns filed in the PATH Act window. Your return has been received (as WMR confirms), but the IRS hasn't started processing it yet - that's why it's not appearing on your transcript. The PATH Act prevents the IRS from issuing certain refunds before mid-February, specifically those claiming Earned Income Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit. Even though that date has passed, there's always a backlog of returns they have to work through. What you're seeing is normal. The transcript won't show any activity until they actually begin processing your return. You'll see code 150 when they officially process it, followed by other codes as they work through verification. Keep checking your transcript weekly. You should see movement within the next couple weeks. If nothing appears by mid-April, then you might want to contact the IRS to make sure nothing's wrong.

I was totally confused about this exact same issue last month. My refund was showing as received in WMR but my transcript was completely blank. I tried calling the IRS multiple times but couldn't get through (busy signals or disconnects). Then someone told me about taxr.ai and it was a game changer. I uploaded my transcript and it explained exactly what was happening - that my return was in the pre-processing queue because of PATH act restrictions and wouldn't show on transcript until the IRS officially started working on it. Saved me hours of stress trying to figure this out on my own. https://taxr.ai helped me understand the whole timeline of what to expect.

After two months of dealing with this exact problem, I finally got through to an actual IRS agent who fixed my issue in 5 minutes. Used Claimyr.com to get connected with a live person instead of wasting hours on hold. They scheduled a callback with an agent within an hour and the agent could see my return was stuck in some review queue. Totally worth it to finally get answers directly from someone who could see my actual file. Got my refund released 3 days later. Best money I ever spent to get this resolved instead of stressing for another month.

Mine did the same thing last year and I almost had a heart attack thinking my return was lost. Found out it was just because I had EIC and was stuck in PATH limbo. My transcript finally updated about 3 weeks after the PATH hold date. Hang in there!

This is a common issue for PATH returns. There's 3 different systems at the IRS that don't talk to each other properly: 1. The e-file acceptance system (what gives you the accepted message) 2. The Where's My Refund tool 3. The transcript database For PATH returns specifically, they get accepted and show in WMR, but don't get loaded into the actual processing system (transcript) until after the PATH deadline when they actually start working on them. It's annoying but normal.

OMG I literaly have the EXACT same issue rn. Filed Feb 27, accepted Feb 28, WMR says received but transcript shows nothing at all for 2024. Called IRS twice and couldn't get thru to anyone. This is my first time claiming EIC so I didn't know about all this PATH act stuff until now. So frustrating!

I had this problem last year and it turned out to be because I had an Identity Verification hold that never triggered a letter. Had to go to ID.me and verify my identity before my return would process. Might be worth checking if you have to verify your identity.

Dealing with the IRS this time of year is a nightmare. I spent 3 hrs trying to decipher transcript codes last week n finally broke down and used taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned on this sub - it explained everything in plain English! Turns out I had a simple PATH hold not anything scary. Saved me so much time not having to google every code and cycle number. https://taxr.ai

I work at a tax office and see this ALL THE TIME with clients who claim EITC. Your return is basically sitting in a holding pattern. Once it gets assigned to be processed after the PATH delay, it'll show up on your transcript. Until then, WMR is the only place you'll see confirmation. Give it another 1-2 weeks and you should see movement.

Double check your tax year when looking at transcripts! I spent 2 weeks freaking out until I realized I was looking at 2022 instead of 2023 transcripts 🤦‍♀️

I remember when you could just call the IRS and get help 😂 Now you need a miracle just to talk to someone. I was in the same situation last month and couldn't get answers anywhere. Finally used the claimyr.com service and got a callback from an IRS agent within an hour. She was able to tell me my return was just waiting in the queue and nothing was wrong. The peace of mind was worth every penny after weeks of stressing.

The IRS is handling over 100 million returns right now. Everything is delayed. I'm a tax preparer and all my clients with EIC are seeing the same thing you are. Just be patient and keep checking once a week.

anyone else think its crazy we still have to deal with this PATH act bs every year? Like find a better way to prevent fraud than making everyone with EIC wait for no reason

This happened to me in 2022 and it turned out I had a random review flag on my account. My transcript didn't update until April even though I filed in February. No explanation, no letter, just a long wait. When it finally processed everything was fine. The IRS works in mysterious ways lol

i was confused by this too! ended up wasting hours trying to figure out what was wrong by reading different forums and reddit posts. I finally used taxr.ai and it explained that this is normal with PATH returns - transcript wont update until they actually start processing it. saved me so much worry! the site also predicted when I'd get my refund and it was spot on.

Make sure you're looking at your Account transcript and not your Return transcript. Account transcript shows the processing status while Return transcript only appears after processing is complete.

FWIW I had the same situation, even had the same "we couldn't expedite" message. My transcript finally updated last week (filed 2/1, PATH affected). Hopefully yours updates soon! The system is incredibly frustrating.

After waiting FOREVER with the same issue, I got so fed up I used Claimyr to reach an IRS agent directly. Got a callback in 45 minutes and they explained my return was just sitting in the queue waiting to be processed. Started showing on my transcript the next week. Talking to a real person who could see my actual file was such a relief after weeks of stress. Their number is impossible to get through otherwise.