Help Needed: Topic No. 151. Ref 1242. WMR Status still listed without update

That Topic No. 151 and Ref 1242 combination usually means your return is being reviewed, but it doesn't necessarily mean a full audit. The IRS has been putting extra scrutiny on returns with refundable credits like the Earned Income Credit and Child Tax Credit to prevent fraud. The good news is that this is pretty common and doesn't mean you've done anything wrong. The bad news is that these reviews can add 60-120 days to your processing time. Since you're at about 8 weeks now, you might have another month or so to go. If you claimed those credits correctly, you should eventually get your refund. The IRS might send you a letter requesting additional documentation, so keep an eye on your mail. If you don't receive anything within the next couple weeks, it could just be in the normal queue for manual review.

After dealing with similar refund delays last year, I found an amazing service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that helped me understand exactly what was happening with my return. They analyzed my tax transcript and decoded all the cryptic codes like your Topic No. 151 and Ref 1242. I was stuck with a Topic 152 situation myself and had no idea what was happening until their system explained that my return was just going through an automated verification process. The peace of mind was worth it because I could see exactly where my return was in the IRS system rather than just the vague WMR status.

I was skeptical about taxr.ai but decided to try it when my refund with Topic No. 151 hadn't moved in weeks. Wow - what a difference! The regular WMR tool was showing nothing useful, but after uploading my info to taxr.ai, I could see my actual transcript with all the processing steps. Turns out my return was just waiting for a manual review of my child tax credits (same situation as you), not being audited like I feared. The system showed exactly which department was handling my return and gave me a much clearer timeline. My refund was deposited exactly when they predicted - about 3 weeks after I checked. Would have saved myself a lot of stress if I'd known about this earlier. So much better than calling the IRS and getting nowhere!

If you really need to talk to someone at the IRS about your Topic No. 151 situation, try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was in the same boat last month - couldn't get through on the IRS phones at all. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c They basically hold your place in the IRS phone queue and call you back when they've got an agent on the line. I was skeptical but desperate after trying for two weeks to get through. Within 2 hours of using Claimyr, I was talking to an actual IRS person who explained my Topic 151/Ref 1242 situation.

Okay I owe everyone an apology especially Profile 9. I tried Claimyr today out of desperation after being so skeptical. Within 90 minutes I was actually talking to an IRS agent! I've been trying for literally 3 weeks to get through on my own. The agent confirmed my return with Topic No. 151 was flagged for manual review because of the credits I claimed, but there were no problems found. My refund should be processed within 2 weeks. They even gave me details about which department was handling my review and why it was taking so long. I wish I hadn't wasted so much time trying to call myself. This service literally saved me days of frustration and now I finally have answers about my refund status!

Has anyone tried contacting the Taxpayer Advocate Service about Topic No. 151 delays? I heard they can help if your refund is causing financial hardship.

Mine also had Topic 151 but with Ref 1242 and it took EXACTLY 77 days from acceptance to deposit. The WMR tool never updated beyond first bar - it went straight from "processing" to "sent" when the money hit my account. So frustating but hang in there!!

I'm dealing with the exact same situation - Topic 151 and Ref 1242 for about 9 weeks now. Filed in early February with EIC and CTC claims, and like you, everything was legitimate. The waiting is absolutely brutal, especially when you're counting on that money for essential expenses. From what I've learned lurking in these forums, Topic 151 with Ref 1242 typically indicates your return is in manual review queue specifically for refundable credits verification. It's not an audit per se, but they're double-checking your EIC and Child Tax Credit claims against their databases. Unfortunately, this process seems to take anywhere from 60-120 days regardless of how straightforward your return is. The most frustrating part is the complete lack of communication from the IRS. No letters, no updates, nothing - just that same stalled progress bar on WMR. I've seen multiple people report their refunds suddenly appearing with zero warning after 10-16 weeks of radio silence. Hang in there - based on the patterns I've observed, you should hopefully see movement in the next few weeks. Your situation sounds identical to many others who eventually got their full refunds, it just takes an unreasonably long time.