Filing Previous Year Return Before 2024 Return - Timeline for DDD?

Think of the IRS processing system like a highway with express lanes and slow lanes. Filing a prior year return puts you in the slow lane first, then you need to merge into the express lane for your current return. Prior year paper returns are currently taking approximately 6-8 weeks for initial processing. The system needs to fully update your account before it will accept your 2024 e-filed return. Once your prior year return is processed and your account is updated (which is like waiting for the traffic light to turn green), your 2024 return will typically process in the standard 21 days if there are no other issues. So in total, you're looking at roughly 8-10 weeks from submission of your prior year return to receiving your 2024 refund Direct Deposit Date. This timeline can vary based on the complexity of your returns, whether any manual review is needed, and current IRS processing volumes.

I think I might be able to help, but I'm not entirely sure my experience is typical. I mailed in my 2022 return in early January this year, and it seemed to take about 5 weeks before my account was updated. I was then able to e-file my 2024 return, which processed in about 3 weeks. So all in all, it was roughly 8 weeks from start to finish, but I've heard others have waited longer, especially if there were any issues with the prior year return that needed to be resolved.

Have you considered how the specific forms on your prior year return might impact processing time? For instance, if your prior return includes Schedule C or Schedule E, those typically require more review time. In my research, I've found these average timeframes for prior year returns: - Simple returns (just W-2 income): 4-6 weeks - Complex returns (self-employment, rental property): 6-10 weeks - Returns with amended forms: 12+ weeks Why does this matter? Because the IRS won't even look at your 2024 return until the prior year is fully processed in their system. Have you checked your tax transcript for the prior year to see if it's been processed yet? That's usually the most reliable indicator that you can proceed with your current year return.

I've worked with dozens of clients in similar situations over the years. In my experience, the timeline varies significantly based on current IRS workload. In January-February, processing was taking about 4-5 weeks for prior returns. Now in April, we're seeing 6-8 weeks minimum. One thing that has helped many of my clients is getting through to an actual IRS agent to check on status or resolve issues. After numerous failed attempts calling the regular IRS number and waiting on hold for hours, I started recommending Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). It's been a game-changer for getting through to an agent quickly. Several clients were able to confirm their prior returns had been processed even though the online system wasn't showing updates yet, allowing them to file their 2024 returns sooner.

I just went through this exact nightmare scenario! 😅 Filed my missing 2022 return in February (oops) and was freaking out about when I could file my 2024 taxes. Here's what ended up working for me: I mailed my 2022 return certified mail on Feb 12th. Then I called the IRS after 4 weeks (had to try like 17 times to get through lol). They confirmed they had received it but it wasn't processed yet. At exactly 6 weeks after mailing, I checked my tax transcript online and saw it had been processed! I immediately e-filed my 2024 return that same day, and got my refund exactly 18 days later. So all in, it was about 8 weeks from mailing my prior year return to getting my 2024 refund. Not as bad as I feared, but still felt like forever when you're checking WMR every morning like a crazy person. Hope this helps with your planning!

It's important to understand the IRS's Return Processing Pipeline when dealing with sequential filings like this. The Submission Processing Center must complete the full cycle on your prior year return, including Master File updating, before your current year return can be accepted into the Active Processing Queue. Based on current metrics, paper-filed prior year returns are experiencing a 42-56 day processing timeline. Following that, there's typically a 3-5 day system update period before e-filed current year returns can be properly integrated. If your 2024 return contains no compliance flags or verification triggers, expect the standard 21-day processing window. One cautionary note: if you attempt to e-file your 2024 return before the prior year return is fully processed, you'll likely receive a rejection code R0000-902-01, which can actually delay your overall timeline by creating a conflict flag in the system.

I tracked my timeline precisely because I was in the exact same situation: - Mailed 2022 return: January 17th, 2024 - IRS received (per tracking): January 20th, 2024 - 2022 return processed (per transcript): March 5th (45 days later) - Filed 2024 return electronically: March 6th - 2024 return accepted: March 6th (same day) - 2024 refund direct deposited: March 27th (21 days after e-filing) Total time from mailing prior year return to receiving current year refund: exactly 70 days. I checked my transcript exactly 17 times during this process. The key indicator was seeing the 2022 return finally appear on my transcript with a 150 transaction code.

Ugh, went thru this last yr and it was a PITA tbh. Sent my 2021 taxes in Feb, waited FOREVER (like 9 wks), then finally got the ok to file 2023. But here's what rly helped - I sent the old return CERTIFIED mail w/ tracking so I could prove when IRS got it. Also printed "PRIOR YEAR RETURN - PROCESS IMMEDIATELY" in red on the envelope. Dunno if that actually did anything but my tax guy recommended it lol. Also don't waste ur time calling the regular IRS # cause you'll just get the "high call volume" BS and get disconnected. If u need to check status, try calling right when they open at 7am EST or try the tax advocate line instead.