First time tax filer with 4-month-old stuck in processing limbo - identity verified 3/15, 21 days passed, transcript still blank despite IRS assurances

The image you shared shows the standard processing message from the Where's My Refund tool. This is normal during processing delays. Since this is your first time filing and you have a child tax credit claim (for your newborn), your return may take longer to process. First-time filers often face additional verification steps. The IRS is also experiencing significant backlogs this season. The 21-day timeframe they mentioned starting from March 20th means you should expect updates by approximately April 10th. The fact that your transcript is still blank indicates your return is in queue but processing hasn't started in earnest yet. At this point, you should: - Continue monitoring your transcript and WMR status (check only once per day as updates don't happen more frequently) - Wait until after the 21-day mark before calling again - If nothing changes by April 15th, call the IRS again and request specific information about your return status - Check that your banking information was entered correctly for direct deposit The good news is that you've verified your identity, which was the first potential hurdle. Now it's mostly a waiting game.

I was in almost exactly the same situation as you a few weeks ago and was going crazy trying to understand what was happening with my refund. I found this tool called taxr.ai that explains exactly what's happening with your tax returns in plain english. It reads your transcript and tells you what all the codes mean and gives you a real timeline. It was such a relief to actually understand what was going on rather than just guessing and stressing. It's insanely good! I use it every week now to check my status. https://taxr.ai

I was in the same boat with my first time filing + new baby last year. After waiting almost 2 months with zero updates, I finally found a way to actually talk to a human at the IRS. Used this service called claimyr.com that got me a callback from an actual IRS agent within an hour! The agent was able to see exactly what was happening with my return (there was a small error they needed to fix) and got everything resolved right there. Talking to the agent directly got my refund released within days. It was the only way I could break through all the automated systems and get real answers.

The same thing happened to me! My transcript was blank for almost a month after verification. For first time filers + child tax credit they do extra verification. Mine finally updated last week and I got my refund 3 days later. Just hang in there!

The IRS is a joke this year. I filed in February and I'm still waiting. My transcript is finally showing activity but my refund date keeps getting pushed back. Don't count on that money anytime soon.

Check your transcript again in a few days. Mine was blank for weeks then suddenly updated with everything at once. The Where's My Refund tool is useless compared to actually seeing your transcript.

what tax software did you use to file? i heard some companies are having issues with their transmissions this year causing delays for some people

The 21 days is a lie 🤡 I'm on day 47 now. Welcome to tax season hell!

If your still having issues in a couple weeks, call the Taxpayer Advocate Service. They can sometimes help speed things up if your experiencing financial hardship because of the delay. Their number is 877-777-4778.

Not to scare you but when i filed for the first time with my newborn last year they selected me for a random audit. Took 5 months to get my refund. Make sure u have birth certificate and social security card for baby ready just in case.

I had similar issue this year and couldn't figure out what was happening. I tried using taxr.ai to understand my transcript and found out there was a review code I didn't understand. It basically told me my return was under manual review because of the child tax credit and gave me a timeline. Super helpful since the IRS website was useless. Might help you understand what's going on with yours. https://taxr.ai

Did you claim EIC too? That plus the child tax credit automatically flags your return for additional review. Its normal but takes longer.

the irs is a complete dumpster fire rn. between covid backlog, staff shortages, and outdated computer systems running on COBOL (a programming language from the 60s!!), its amazing anything gets processed at all

something that helped me was calling early in the morning as soon as they open (7am eastern). I managed to get through after a few tries. ask them specifically if theres any errors on your return or if theres additional info they need from you. sometimes they wont tell u unless u ask directly.

Did you file electronically or paper? If paper, you're gonna be waiting a lonnnng time. They're still processing paper returns from 2022.

I know this sounds silly but check if your bank acct info is correct. My friend had a similar issue and turns out she had one digit wrong on her routing number, so the refund was trying to go to a nonexistent account. The IRS never notified her. She had to call to figure it out.

do u have access to your IRS online account? Sometimes there's info there that doesn't show up on WMR.

Don't forget about the advance child tax credit payments from last year, I got flagged for review cuz i forgot to report the payments id already received. That could be whats up with yours too.

Have you checked the status on the IRS2Go app? Sometimes it updates there before the website does. Just another place to check while ur waiting.