Filed Taxes One Day Apart - Husband's With EIC Processed Faster Than Mine?

I'm going through my first tax season tracking transcripts too, and noticed similar patterns! • EIC returns seem to be prioritized this year • Filed my roommate's return with EIC on 3/5 • Mine (no credits) filed 3/1 • Hers processed first even though filed later! • IRS seems to be fast-tracking certain credits Thank you for sharing your experience! Makes me feel less alone in this waiting game.

The IRS works in mysterious ways... and by mysterious I mean completely unpredictable! 😂 I've seen this happen before where returns with certain credits move through faster. Could be because they've already set up the verification processes for EIC claims and are moving them through a separate pipeline. Not sure if that helps, but at least your husband's is moving along! Mine's been stuck since February with no movement whatsoever.

OMG I had the EXACT same situation with my spouse's return vs mine!! I was pulling my hair out trying to reach someone at the IRS to explain the discrepancy. Called for DAYS with no luck getting through. Finally used Claimyr (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) and got connected to an agent in 15 minutes! Such a relief! The agent explained that returns with certain credits like EIC are processed in different batches this year, which is why they can move at different speeds even when filed back-to-back. Worth the call just for peace of mind!

I've been tracking IRS processing patterns for the past few tax seasons, and on March 15th, I noticed they started prioritizing EIC returns differently. My data shows returns with EIC filed between February 24th and March 3rd are moving through the system about 30% faster than standard returns filed in the same period. This appears to be related to the March 19th system update the IRS implemented. The good news is that most standard returns without credits are still processing within the 21-day window, just at a different pace.

I've seen this pattern for the last three tax seasons. The IRS has different processing streams - I call them fast lanes and slow lanes. Returns with refundable credits like EIC often get flagged for the verification process, but ironically, that puts them in a specific processing queue that sometimes moves faster than the general queue. Last year my brother and I filed on the same day - his had EIC and processed in 12 days, mine took 25 days with no credits. It's counterintuitive but happens every year. Your return is likely just in a different processing batch and should complete soon.

Check your tax transcript for TC 570 codes. If you have one, that's your answer - it means they're holding your return for review. If not, try calling the IRS early morning (7am Eastern) when wait times are shorter. Also, if your return is more complex than your husband's (multiple income sources, investments, etc.), that could explain the difference even if filed just a day apart. Different processing teams handle different types of returns.

Have you checked if your return shows any pending actions? Sometimes what appears as a delay is actually an invisible verification process happening behind the scenes. Did you claim any education credits, have investment income, or report any self-employment that your husband didn't? These factors can trigger different processing paths even when filed a day apart. Worth checking your complete transcript and not just the account transcript to see if there are any clues there.