Filed on the 21st with Dependents - No Transcript or WMR Updates?

This is actually pretty normal for this time of year, especially with dependents. I've seen this happen countless times before. The IRS systems are like a massive pipeline that sometimes gets clogged during peak season. Last year, I had a client who filed on January 18th and didn't see any transcript updates until February 15th. The system was completely blank, just like yours. Returns with dependents often go through additional verification processes that don't always show up in the tracking systems right away. Give it about 21 days from filing before getting too concerned.

I'm so frustrated with how the IRS handles this every year! 😡 It's our money sitting in their accounts while we're left in the dark! I've learned to always check your e-file confirmation email from your tax software - that's your proof it was submitted. If you got that, you're probably fine. I've had returns take up to 6 weeks to even show as accepted during busy season. Drives me crazy when I'm trying to budget and plan!

I've seen this happen to several people I know this year. There seems to be a weird glitch in the system where returns filed in the second half of January aren't showing up in the tracking systems. My brother-in-law filed on January 23rd and had the same issue - nothing on transcripts or WMR for almost three weeks. I'm concerned this might be a sign of the IRS implementing those new verification procedures they announced for returns with dependents. They're supposedly trying to cut down on fraudulent dependent claims.

The IRS website says to wait 21 days before contacting them, but we all know how impossible it is to get through on their phone lines. According to the IRS.gov forums, average wait times are over 2 hours right now. I was in your exact situation last year and got nowhere for weeks until I tried Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). They got me connected to an IRS agent in about 15 minutes who confirmed my return was just sitting in a processing queue. Totally worth it to stop the anxiety spiral I was in!

You might want to try checking your account transcript rather than your return transcript. Sometimes, the account transcript will show pending actions even when the return transcript shows nothing. It's also possible, though not guaranteed, that your return is still in the initial verification queue, which typically doesn't show on any public-facing systems. In my experience, returns with dependents filed in January often take a bit longer to process due to the verification procedures.

Had this happen last year. Filed January 18. Nothing showed up anywhere. Called IRS after 3 weeks. Return was flagged for identity verification. Never received a letter. Had to complete ID verify online. Got refund 2 weeks later. Check ID verify portal. Might save you time.

I want to caution you about one thing that happened to me last year. I was in a similar situation and assumed everything was fine. Here's what I should have done: 1. First, verify your e-file was actually transmitted by checking your tax software status 2. Second, check your email for any rejection notices (sometimes they go to spam) 3. Third, create an IRS online account if you haven't already 4. Fourth, check both account and return transcripts 5. Finally, if nothing shows after 21 days, contact the IRS directly I waited too long assuming it was normal processing, but my return had actually been rejected due to an AGI mismatch from the previous year. By the time I figured it out, I was already 6 weeks delayed.

Have you tried checking your state tax refund status? Sometimes the state system will show acceptance even when the federal systems don't. Isn't it interesting how the two systems that should be communicating with each other often tell different stories? If your state shows acceptance, it usually means your federal return was also received since most software submits them together.