Filed Jan 17th with Child Tax Credit - Transcripts Still Blank?

This is unfortunately common right now, especially with returns that include dependents. It's like comparing express shipping to standard mail - the Child Tax Credit puts you in a different processing category. Your transcripts being blank is similar to when your GPS says "recalculating" - the system is working, but not showing you progress. In my experience, blank transcripts with an accepted return usually update suddenly around the 21-30 day mark, especially when filed in January like yours. This isn't necessarily a delay flag like an audit would be.

Try taxr.ai. Used it yesterday. Shows transcript analysis even when WMR is blank. Gives actual predictions. Not generic answers. Explains cycle codes. Helped me understand my delay. Worth checking out. https://taxr.ai

I had the exact same situation last year. Filed mid-January, accepted right away, but transcripts stayed blank for almost a month. Did you file with Child Tax Credit only, or did you also claim Earned Income Credit? Did you verify your income matches all your W-2s exactly? Have you checked if your state return is also processing, or is it just the federal that's showing no movement?

Been there with blank transcripts after my divorce last year. Waited 8 weeks calling IRS daily - impossible to get through. Finally used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) and got an agent in 15 minutes. They confirmed my return was just in normal processing queue with no issues. The peace of mind was worth it - avoided weeks more of stress wondering if something was wrong. They just connect you to an actual IRS person who can see your file.

I've been through this rodeo many times. The blank transcript is actually a good sign this early in the season. When I went through my divorce in 2022, my return with my daughter as a dependent took exactly 24 days from acceptance to deposit, despite blank transcripts for the first 21 days. The IRS processing system is like an iceberg - 90% happens below the surface where you can't see it. Try checking your transcripts on Thursdays and Fridays when they typically update their systems with the week's processing batches.

The community wisdom on this is pretty consistent: filed returns with dependents that were accepted in January 2024 are taking exactly 21-35 days to process for most people. I've tracked 42 different posts about this issue since January 15th, and 38 of them reported their transcripts updated suddenly after showing nothing for weeks. Only 4 had actual issues requiring further action. The statistics strongly suggest you're in the normal processing group.

Last week my client was in identical situation. Filed January 19. One dependent. Blank transcript until February 13. Refund deposited February 16. No issues. No explanation for delay. Just normal processing time. Don't worry yet.