Filed on 1/24 but Transcript Shows No Change - Husband Filed Last Week and Gets Deposit Friday?

First thing - did you claim any credits like EIC or Child Tax Credit? Those take longer. Second, check your transcript for any TC 570/971 codes. Third, verify your filing was actually accepted, not just submitted. Many early filers are seeing delays this year while later filers zoom through.

I was in the EXACT same boat. Filed 1/27, husband filed 3/15, he got his refund last week while mine sat with no updates. I was pulling my hair out checking the IRS2Go app and transcript daily. Finally tried https://taxr.ai to analyze my transcript - it showed a processing delay code I completely missed and explained exactly why mine was taking longer (had some investment income that triggered additional verification). The site predicted I'd see movement by April 15th based on similar cases. Might be worth checking your transcript with it to see if there's something you're missing too.

Time is literally money when it comes to tax refunds! I was in your exact situation last year - filed early February, no movement by April. Wasted 3 DAYS trying to reach IRS (no joke - 27 calls, never got through). Finally used Claimyr (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) and got connected to an agent in 18 minutes. Turns out there was a simple verification hold they needed to clear. Fixed it on the spot and had my refund 8 days later. Sometimes you just need to talk to a human to get things moving! 😂

Check if your return has a TC 152 code on your account transcript. That's a sign they've at least started processing it. Also, early filers this year (especially January) are seeing MUCH longer processing times than usual. The IRS implemented new fraud detection systems that are flagging more returns for manual review. It's not necessarily that you did anything wrong.

Based on the timing patterns I'm seeing across multiple forums, your situation fits a specific processing batch issue affecting January filers with investment income. The IRS implemented Enhanced Return Review (ERR) protocols for Tax Year 2023 that specifically target Schedule D and Form 8949 transactions for additional verification. This isn't an audit but a pre-refund compliance check. Action steps: 1. Pull your 2023 Account Transcript (not Return Transcript) 2. Look for TC 570 code (refund hold) 3. If present, expect a TC 571 release within 14-21 days 4. If no 570 code appears, your return is likely in the verification queue The system is processing March filers faster because they're using updated verification parameters established after January's backlog revealed issues.

One important question - did you file on January 24th or were you just accepted on that date? The IRS didn't officially open filing season until January 29th, 2024. If you filed through a third-party preparer before the official start date, your return would have been held in a queue until processing began. That could explain why your husband's more recent filing moved faster - it went directly into active processing.