Filed Head of Household - Transcripts Still Not Updated After 3 Weeks

Omg this is so frustrating! I'm in the same boat rn. Filed HOH on Feb 27th and STILL no transcript updates. The WMR tool is pretty much useless tbh... just says "processing" forever. From what I've read on the IRS site, HOH returns are taking longer this yr bc they're doing extra verification. It's not necessarily an audit, just them being extra careful w/ filing status changes. My tax guy said to expect 6-8 wks instead of the usual 21 days. Have u tried checking your transcript around midnight? That's when the system usually updates.

I had almost the exact same situation last tax season (divorce finalized, first time HOH) and spent WEEKS trying to get through to the IRS. Calling the regular number was like trying to win the lottery! 😂 Finally found Claimyr.com (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) and got through to an agent in about 15 minutes. Turns out my return was just sitting in the verification queue waiting for someone to look at it. The agent was able to verify my information over the phone, and my transcripts updated three days later. Worth the fee to save my sanity and get actual answers instead of staring at "still processing" for another month.

I was pulling my hair out with this EXACT situation last month. Here's what worked for me: 1. First, I stopped checking WMR and focused only on transcripts 2. I checked transcripts at 3am EST on Wednesday (they update overnight Tuesday-Wednesday) 3. When they finally appeared, I saw code 570 (hold) followed by 971 (notice issued) 4. Called IRS using the extension for tax account questions 5. After 2 hours on hold, learned they just needed to verify my identity 6. Verified over the phone and got release code 571 a week later 7. Refund arrived 8 days after that The whole process took 6 weeks from filing to refund, but knowing what was happening made it less stressful.

Have you checked what your cycle code is? This might give you a clue about when to expect updates. When my transcripts finally appeared, I used https://taxr.ai to analyze them and it explained everything that was happening with my return. It showed me that my HOH verification was complete but they were doing an income verification which was causing the delay. The tool predicted my refund date accurately based on the codes in my transcript. Is your refund amount significant? That often triggers additional review too.

I believe what might be happening is that your return is going through the standard verification process for changed filing statuses. This is, from what I understand, quite normal for first-time Head of Household filers, especially following a divorce. The IRS might be cross-referencing your information with your ex-spouse's return to ensure consistency. I would suggest perhaps waiting one more week before taking any action. If your transcripts don't update by then, you might want to consider calling the IRS directly to inquire about your status. Would you feel comfortable sharing when exactly your divorce was finalized? That timing might be relevant to how they're processing your return.

Been there, done that. Last year my transcripts didn't update for almost 2 months after filing HOH for the first time. The IRS is SUPER slow with status changes. Back in 2021, I had a simple return with no status changes and got my refund in 10 days. In 2022 with HOH? 57 days. The system flags these returns for manual review every single time. It's not you, it's their outdated systems and understaffing. The most frustrating part is the lack of transparency - they could easily tell you "your return is in manual review" instead of the vague "still processing" message.

Perhaps you might consider checking your tax account on the IRS website rather than just the transcripts? Sometimes the account shows different information. Also, it seems possible that the combination of a filing status change AND the current heavy processing season (we're right at peak time) could be creating a longer than usual wait. While I wouldn't necessarily be alarmed yet, you might want to prepare for the possibility that your return could be selected for correspondence verification, which would mean receiving a letter requesting additional documentation for your HOH status. This happens to a significant percentage of HOH filers, especially after divorce.

My transcripts took 31 days to update last year compared to 14 days the year before. The IRS is processing about 1.5 million returns per day right now, and HOH status changes get flagged for additional review almost 100% of the time. If you compare this to other filing status changes like going from Single to Married Filing Jointly, those typically don't trigger the same level of scrutiny. The IRS considers HOH a high-risk area for errors, so they're extra careful with those returns.

I feel your anxiety! When I went through my divorce in 2022, I filed HOH for the first time and my refund was delayed for almost 8 weeks! I was checking my transcripts every single day (sometimes twice 😬) and driving myself crazy. I finally broke down and called the IRS after 6 weeks. They told me my return had been selected for a "routine review" of my filing status. Nothing was wrong, but they were verifying I qualified for HOH. The relief I felt after that call was incredible - just knowing what was happening made the wait easier. My transcripts updated the following week. Hang in there!