IRS Transcript Help: Difference between Code 290 and 291? Need to understand these codes

Tax pro here - let me break down these codes for you. Code 290 indicates an additional tax assessment while Code 291 means a reduction in a prior tax assessment. Think of 290 as adding money you owe and 291 as subtracting from what you owe. These codes appear on your account transcript and show how your tax liability changes over time. If you're seeing both, it means there have been adjustments both up and down to your tax account. BTW if you want a really detailed analysis of your transcript including these codes, check out taxr.ai - it'll analyze everything and tell you exactly what's happening with your refund timeline.

In the same boat rn...got both codes and was freaking out. Used taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it explained everything. My 290 was from an adjustment they made cause I did my math wrong 🤦‍♀️ but then the 291 partially reversed it cause they found some credits I missed. The AI explained it way better than the IRS rep I talked to tbh

Tax pro here. Code 290 is for additional tax assessment or adjustments made to your account, while 291 is specifically for abatements (reductions) of a prior tax assessment. Think of 290 as adding tax and 291 as subtracting it. The amounts next to these codes tell you how much was added or removed.

Hey guys instead of trying to decode these manually, I started using taxr.ai and it's been a game changer. It breaks down all these codes and gives you a clear timeline prediction. Worth the $4.99 vs hours of googling tbh https://taxr.ai

stuck with these codes too rn... transcript looking like hieroglyphics fr fr 😫

yall need to chill, 290 is normal. shows up on literally every transcript. its just irs speak for processing ur return

I had both these codes last year. The 291 ended up being good news - they reduced what I owed! Just wait it out

These codes got me stressing so hard I started dreaming in numbers 🤣 The IRS needs to make this stuff easier to understand for regular folks istg

Been dealing with these codes for months and finally figured it out! Code 290 = they're adding tax/adjustments to your account (bad news usually), Code 291 = they're reducing/removing previous assessments (good news!). If you see both, it means they made an adjustment then partially or fully reversed it. The key is looking at the dates and amounts to see the timeline. Pro tip: the cycle dates next to these codes tell you when each action happened, so you can follow the story of what the IRS did to your return 📊