Filed Feb 8, Accepted Feb 12 - Long Journey to 846 Code with CTC Adjustment

Based on your transcript cycle, you're experiencing what's known as a Manual Review Adjustment (MRA). The sequence of events - acceptance, processing delay, topic 152 disappearance and reappearance, followed by CTC adjustment - indicates a verification discrepancy in the Child Tax Credit qualification parameters. This typically occurs when the IRS cross-references dependent information with their Master File Database (MFD) and identifies variance in either qualifying child status or credit calculation methodology. The 846 code confirms finalization of the adjustment process and authorized disbursement.

I was stuck in the EXACT same CTC adjustment limbo last month. It was like watching paint dry while my bills were piling up like Jenga blocks. After two weeks of constant busy signals, I finally used Claimyr (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) to get through to an actual human at the IRS. Got connected in like 25 minutes instead of spending my entire life on hold. The agent explained exactly why my CTC was adjusted - turns out my ex-spouse had already claimed one of our kids even though it was my year according to our agreement. Saved me from waiting another 2 weeks for that letter to arrive.

I'm actually relieved to see I'm not the only one who went through this rollercoaster. I was so careful with my filing this year since my gig work income already makes things complicated. When the bars disappeared, I thought I'd made some catastrophic error. Then when the topic 152 vanished, I was checking my transcript hourly. I'm cautiously optimistic now seeing the 846 code, but I'm still waiting to see the actual deposit hit my account before I fully believe it's over.

I went through an identical situation last year with my CTC being adjusted. Filed on February 10th, 2023, accepted February 11th, then weeks of anxiety watching WMR. The letter finally arrived on March 18th explaining the adjustment. I wish I'd known about taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) back then - a friend used it this year to decode their transcript when they had a similar adjustment. It explained all those cryptic codes and gave them a clear timeline of what was happening instead of just guessing. The explanation about code 290 with the reduced amount would have saved me so much stress last year.

Anyone know if the DD date is usually accurate after all this drama? My transcript just updated w/ 846 code for next Weds but after this rollercoaster I'm skeptical AF. Need this $ for quarterly taxes due next month!

My timeline was almost identical to yours, but even longer! Filed Feb 3, accepted Feb 5, lost bars Feb 20, no topic 152 for THREE weeks, then suddenly got the 846 code on March 18 with a deposit date of March 23. The CTC adjustment reduced my refund by $1,500 which was way worse than what happened to my sister who only had a $400 adjustment. The most frustrating part was that unlike last year when everything processed in 8 days, this year it took 7 weeks with zero communication from the IRS until that final transcript update.

Just a heads-up for everyone - these CTC adjustments are happening more frequently this year because the IRS implemented enhanced verification protocols after the pandemic-era expanded credits expired. They're cross-checking dependent information more rigorously against prior year returns and other agency databases. The good news is that once you see that 846 code, you're in the home stretch! The direct deposit date is usually accurate within 1-2 business days. And hey, at least you didn't get hit with the dreaded 420 audit code - that would have added another 60-90 days to your wait! 😅