What Does IRS Code 291 Mean? Transcript Shows -$1,910 "Reduced Tax" with Refund Freeze - Do I Get This Money?

Hey fam - used taxr.ai to figure this out and here's the breakdown they gave me:

Tax professional here with 15 years experience. IRS Code 291 typically shows up on your transcript when there's been an adjustment to your tax return resulting in a refund. The amount shown with code 291 represents money being sent back to you - it's not something you owe. This usually happens when the IRS reviews your return and finds you're entitled to more money than originally calculated. Quick tip - if you want a detailed analysis of your transcript and to know exactly when you'll get your refund, check out https://taxr.ai - it's been a game changer for understanding these complex codes and getting accurate timeline predictions.

A 291 code actually means there's been an adjustment to your tax return after it was processed. Without seeing the +/- symbol next to the amount, it's impossible to tell if it's in your favor or not. The best way to know for sure is to look at the symbol next to the amount.

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lol welcome to the club of confusion! The IRS makes everything so complicated on purpose i swear 🤡

I had the same issue last month. Turns out mine was an adjustment in my favor but took forever to figure that out.

Been dealing with the IRS for 20+ years as a tax preparer. A 291 is just an adjustment code - could be either direction. You need to look at the whole transcript to understand the context. Check if there's a 846 code following it (that's the refund code).

Looking at your transcript, that -$1,910.00 with code 291 is actually GOOD news! The negative sign means it's a credit to your account - money coming TO you, not something you owe. Code 291 "Reduced or removed prior tax assessed" means the IRS adjusted your tax liability downward, so you're getting that money back. The refund freeze from March might delay things, but that adjustment in your favor should eventually process. Keep checking for an 846 code to appear - that's when they actually issue the refund!

Just went through something similar! That -$1,910.00 with code 291 is definitely money coming your way - the negative sign means it's a credit to your account, not a debt. The IRS basically realized they overcharged you and are correcting it. Your refund freeze from March might be holding things up, but once that clears you should see an 846 code pop up which means they're actually sending the money. I'd keep checking your transcript weekly for updates. The amended return from October probably triggered this adjustment - sometimes it takes months for them to process everything but you're in good shape! 💰

I had this exact same situation last year! That -$1,910.00 with code 291 is definitely money coming to you, not something you owe. The negative sign means it's a credit - basically the IRS is saying "oops, we charged you too much tax, here's your money back." The refund freeze from March is probably what's holding things up, but once that gets resolved you should see an 846 code appear on your transcript which means they're actually cutting you a check. With the amended return filed in October, it makes sense that this adjustment showed up in November - they had to review everything and recalculate. I'd suggest checking your transcript every Friday (that's when they usually update) and look for that 846 code. Once you see it, you'll typically get your refund within 1-2 weeks. You're definitely getting that $1,910 - just gotta wait for the IRS to work through their backlog! 🙌

I totally get the confusion - IRS transcripts are like trying to read hieroglyphics! 😵‍💫 The good news is that -$1,910.00 with code 291 means money is coming TO you, not something you owe. The negative sign is actually positive for your wallet! Code 291 means they reduced your tax liability, so you're getting that amount back. The refund freeze from March might be what's causing the delay, but once that's resolved you should see an 846 code pop up (that's the actual refund issuance code). Keep checking your transcript weekly - Friday updates are when most changes show up. That amended return from October is probably what triggered this whole adjustment process. You're definitely in line for that $1,910! 🎉

Hey! I went through this exact same situation a few months ago and was totally panicking about what those codes meant. That -$1,910.00 with code 291 is actually GREAT news for you! 🎉 The negative sign means it's money coming TO you, not something you owe. Code 291 "Reduced or removed prior tax assessed" basically means the IRS reviewed your return (probably because of that amended return filed in October) and realized they charged you too much tax originally. The refund freeze from March is likely what's been holding everything up, but that should resolve eventually. Keep an eye out for code 846 to appear on your transcript - that's when they actually issue the refund. I'd recommend checking your transcript every Friday since that's typically when they do updates. For what it's worth, if you want a super detailed breakdown of all those codes and an estimated timeline, I used taxr.ai and it explained everything way better than I could figure out on my own. Worth the few bucks just for the peace of mind! But yeah, bottom line - you're getting that $1,910, just gotta wait for the IRS bureaucracy to catch up! 💰

I had this exact same code 291 situation earlier this year and was freaking out too! That -$1,910.00 is definitely money coming TO you, not something you owe. The negative sign on IRS transcripts means it's a credit to your account - I know it's confusing because it's backwards from normal accounting! Code 291 means they adjusted your tax liability downward after reviewing your return (probably triggered by that amended return you filed in October). The refund freeze from March is likely what's been holding everything up, but once that releases you should see an 846 code appear which means they're actually sending your money. I'd recommend checking your transcript every Friday morning - that's when they typically post updates. In my case, it took about 4-6 weeks from seeing the 291 to getting the 846, but everyone's situation is different. You're definitely getting that $1,910 though - just gotta be patient with the IRS processing times! 💰 Keep us posted on what happens - always curious to hear how these situations play out for people!

I completely understand your confusion - IRS transcripts are like trying to decode a secret language! 😵‍💫 That -$1,910.00 with code 291 is actually EXCELLENT news for you! The negative sign means it's money coming TO you, not something you owe. Code 291 "Reduced or removed prior tax assessed" means the IRS reviewed your return (likely because of your amended return from October) and determined you were overcharged on taxes. Think of it this way: on IRS transcripts, negative amounts = credits to YOU, positive amounts = what you owe THEM. It's backwards from normal accounting but that's how they do it. The refund freeze from March is probably what's been holding things up, but once that resolves you should see an 846 code appear on your transcript - that's the golden ticket that means they're actually cutting you a check! I'd recommend checking your transcript every Friday morning since that's when they typically post updates. You're definitely getting that $1,910 - just need to wait for the IRS bureaucracy to catch up. Based on others' experiences in this thread, it seems like 4-6 weeks from seeing the 291 to getting the 846 is pretty typical. Hang in there! 💰

I went through this exact same situation about 6 months ago and was absolutely panicking! That -$1,910.00 with code 291 is definitely money coming TO you - the negative sign means it's a credit to your account, not a debt. I know it's super confusing because it's backwards from normal accounting! Code 291 means the IRS reviewed your return and realized they overcharged you on taxes, so they're reducing what you owe and giving you back the difference. Your amended return from October is probably what triggered this whole review process. The refund freeze from March has likely been holding everything up, but once that clears you should see an 846 code appear - that's when they actually issue the refund. I'd suggest checking your transcript every Friday morning since that's when they typically post updates. In my case, it took about 5 weeks from seeing the 291 to getting the 846 code, then another week and a half for the actual deposit. You're definitely getting that money - just gotta wait for the IRS to work through their backlog! Keep us posted on when you see that 846 code! 🤞💰

I can totally relate to your confusion - I was in the exact same boat a few months ago staring at my transcript like it was written in alien language! 👽 That -$1,910.00 with code 291 is actually AMAZING news for you! The negative sign means it's money coming TO you, not something you owe. I know it seems backwards but that's just how the IRS does their accounting. Code 291 "Reduced or removed prior tax assessed" basically means they reviewed your return (probably because of that amended return from October) and said "oops, we charged you too much tax - here's your money back!" The refund freeze from March has likely been holding everything up, but once that releases you should see the magical 846 code appear on your transcript. Pro tip: check your transcript every Friday morning - that's when they typically post updates. From what I've seen in this thread and my own experience, it usually takes 4-6 weeks from seeing the 291 to getting the 846 refund code, then about 1-2 weeks for the actual money to hit your account. You're definitely getting that $1,910 - just gotta be patient with the IRS bureaucracy! Keep us updated when you see that 846 code! 🎉💰

Hey! I totally understand the stress you're going through - tax transcripts are like reading hieroglyphics sometimes! 😅 That -$1,910.00 with code 291 is actually GREAT news though! The negative sign means it's money coming TO you, not something you owe. Code 291 "Reduced or removed prior tax assessed" means the IRS reviewed your stuff and realized they overcharged you originally. Your amended return from October probably triggered this whole review, and now they're correcting the mistake in your favor. The refund freeze from March might be what's been holding things up, but once that clears you should see an 846 code pop up - that's the actual refund code you want to see! I'd recommend checking your transcript every Friday morning since that's typically when they update. Based on what others have shared, it usually takes 4-6 weeks from seeing the 291 to getting the 846, then another week or two for the money to actually hit your account. You're definitely getting that $1,910 - just gotta wait for the IRS to work through their process! 💰