IRS website says "2024 Tax Return Is Not Processed" after 4 weeks, but agent claims it's "in processing" - confused about $4,700 refund status!

There is absolutely a difference between "not processed" and "in processing" - it's frustrating that the IRS systems don't communicate this clearly. "Not Processed" on the portal typically means one of three things: 1. Your return is in the queue but hasn't been officially entered into their main processing system yet 2. Your return has been received but is waiting in a backlog 3. There could be a verification check happening that's causing a delay When the agent said it's "in processing," they're confirming they have your return and it's moving through their system. The online tools often lag behind what agents can see in their internal systems. My suggestion: • Wait another week as e-filed returns can sometimes take up to 30 days despite their "21 day" claim • Check your transcript if you can access it (often more detailed than WMR) • Don't call again unless you pass the 30-day mark without updates The IRS is still experiencing significant delays this year despite what they claim publicly.

I was in the exact same situation last month and was pulling my hair out trying to figure out what was going on. The IRS website is so confusing and their automated systems are like from the 90s or something. I finally got fed up trying to decode everything myself and used taxr.ai to figure out what was happening with my return. It was SO much better than trying to piece everything together myself. It read my transcript and translated all the codes and explained exactly where my return was in the process and when I could expect my refund. Turns out I had a simple verification delay but nothing serious. Honestly, I check it weekly now cuz it explains everything in normal human language. It's insanely good! Here's the link if you wanna try it: https://taxr.ai

After spending literal days trying to get someone on the phone at the IRS about a similar issue, I found this app called Claimyr that got me connected to an actual human at the IRS in about 20 minutes. They called me back with an agent on the line! The agent explained that my return was actually flagged for a quick review but was still processing normally and would be done within a week. Such a relief to talk to someone who could explain everything. Their website is claimyr.com if anyone else is tired of spending hours listening to awful hold music. Honestly talking to an actual agent was the only thing that finally cleared up my confusion.

This happened to me earlier this year. The IRS website said not processed for almost 6 weeks while the WMR tool showed one bar. Super annoying! When I finally got through to them, they said it was just a display issue on their website and my refund was about to be issued. Got my $ about 3 days later.

The IRS systems dont talk to each other AT ALL. The website, the wmr tool, and what agents can see are completely different systems that update at different times. Its ridiculous for a government agency in 2025 but here we are 🤷‍♀️

I've been waitng for my refund for 3 months and stil nothing. When I call they just say "its processing" every time. Starting to think ill never see that money. The tax system is broken beyond repair at this point.

Hot take: all these 'where's my refund' issues could be fixed if the IRS just got proper funding instead of being gutted year after year

FWIW "not processed" does NOT always mean they havent started working on it. It often just means its not 100% complete yet. The IRS portal is notoriously bad at showing accurate status. Trust what the phone rep told you.

omg this exact thing has been happening to me!!! 4 weeks waiting and the WMR still shows "being processed" while the account page says "not processed" 🤯🤯 make it make sense IRS!

Do you have any unusual credits or deductions on your return? Earned Income Credit or Child Tax Credit claims often get extra verification that can delay processing.

Having worked at a tax office, I can tell u those automated systems are useless. The online status and WMR tool are programmed to show generic messages most of the time. Only the transcript shows the real status!

Sometimes returns get stuck in processing if there's a mismatch with something like your AGI from last year or a W2 amount. Did you double check all your numbers?

The IRS is the most frustrating agency in the country to deal with. I swear they make everything complicated on purpose.

Pro tip: don't trust the WMR tool. It's horribly outdated and inaccurate. Always go by your transcript or what an actual agent tells you.

Any chance you filed using a tax prep service that takes your refund as payment? Sometimes those delay everything.

what does your transcript say? thats the only reliable source of info

If irs agent said ur processing then your PROCESSING. website is always behind what they can see in the system. just be patient, i kno it suks.

The 570 code on your transcript is key here! That's a temporary hold code that explains why your account status shows "not processed" even though the agent said it's "in processing." A 570 hold can happen for several reasons: • Verification of Child Tax Credit (which you mentioned having) • Random quality review • System flagging something that needs human review • Income verification with employers The good news is that 570 holds are usually temporary and resolve within 1-4 weeks. Since you're at the 4-week mark already, you should see movement soon. The IRS agent was correct - your return IS processing, it's just paused for review. Keep checking your transcript weekly rather than the main account page. You'll want to look for either the 570 to disappear or see an 846 code appear (which means refund issued). The transcript will update before any of the other tools. Don't panic about the $4,700 - it's not lost, just delayed for verification. This is super common with returns that have child tax credits.

This is exactly what happened to me last year! The disconnect between "not processed" on the website and "in processing" from the agent drove me crazy too. What I learned is that the IRS website status is basically useless - it only updates when your return is 100% complete, so it stays on "not processed" even when they're actively working on it. The agents have access to real-time processing info that the public portals don't show. Since you have a 570 code on your transcript (which others mentioned), that's definitely why you're seeing "not processed" - it's a temporary hold that prevents the status from updating until the review is complete. With Child Tax Credit, these holds are super common and usually resolve within 4-6 weeks total. My advice: stop checking the main account page daily (it'll just stress you out) and focus on your transcript instead. Look for that 570 to disappear or an 846 code to appear. Your $4,700 is safe, just stuck in their verification process. Hang in there!

I went through this exact same nightmare last year! The IRS website showing "not processed" while agents say it's "processing" is one of the most confusing things about their system. Here's what's actually happening: The website only shows "processed" when your return is 100% complete and approved. But "in processing" means they have your return and are actively working on it - it's just not finished yet. Since you mentioned you have a 570 code on your transcript, that's a temporary hold code. It's super common with Child Tax Credit returns (which you have) because they do extra verification. The 570 is why your website still says "not processed" even though work is being done on your return. The good news is these holds usually resolve within 4-6 weeks, and you're already at week 4. Keep checking your transcript weekly - you'll want to see either the 570 disappear or an 846 code appear (that means refund issued). Your $4,700 isn't going anywhere, it's just stuck in their verification queue. I know the waiting is brutal but you should see movement soon!

I totally understand your frustration! I went through something very similar a few months ago and it was driving me absolutely crazy. The key thing to understand is that "not processed" on the website and "in processing" from the agent mean completely different things in their system. The website only updates to "processed" when your return is 100% finished and approved - it doesn't show any of the intermediate steps. So even when they're actively working on your return (which is what "in processing" means), the website will still show "not processed" until everything is completely done. Since you mentioned finding a 570 code on your transcript, that explains everything! A 570 is a temporary hold code that's super common with Child Tax Credit returns (which you have). The IRS does extra verification on these, which is why your return is taking longer than the typical 21 days. This hold is exactly why your website status is stuck on "not processed" - it can't update until that 570 clears. The good news is that 570 holds usually resolve within 4-6 weeks total, and you're already at week 4. Keep checking your transcript weekly rather than the main account page. You'll want to look for either the 570 to disappear or an 846 code to appear (which means your refund has been issued). Your $4,700 is completely safe - it's just stuck in their verification process. I know the waiting is brutal, but this is totally normal and you should see movement very soon!

I completely understand your frustration - I went through this exact same situation last year and it was maddening! The disconnect between what the IRS website shows and what their agents can see is one of the most confusing aspects of dealing with them. Here's what's happening: The website status "not processed" literally only changes to "processed" when your return is 100% complete and your refund is approved. It doesn't show any of the intermediate steps, so even when they're actively working on your return (which is what the agent meant by "in processing"), the website will stubbornly show "not processed" until everything is finished. The 570 code you found on your transcript is the smoking gun here - that's a temporary hold code that explains everything! These holds are extremely common with Child Tax Credit returns because the IRS does additional verification on those. It's not a red flag or problem, just their standard review process for returns with certain credits. Based on my experience and what I've seen others go through, these 570 holds typically resolve within 4-6 weeks total. Since you're at week 4, you're right in the window where it should start moving soon. My advice: Stop torturing yourself by checking the main account page daily (I did this too and it just made me more anxious). Instead, check your transcript once a week and look for either the 570 to disappear or an 846 code to appear - that 846 means your refund has been issued and you'll see your money within a few days. Your $4,700 is absolutely safe, just temporarily stuck in their verification queue. Hang in there - based on your timeline, you should see movement very soon!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! Filed 5 weeks ago and the IRS website still shows "not processed" while the agent I spoke to last week said it's "in processing." It's so confusing and stressful, especially when you're counting on that refund money. From reading all these comments, it sounds like the 570 code on your transcript is the key. I just checked mine and I have the same code! I also claimed Child Tax Credit for my daughter, so that must be why we're both stuck in this verification process. It's frustrating that the IRS systems don't communicate better with each other. The website should at least say "under review" or something instead of just "not processed" - that would save everyone so much anxiety! Thanks for posting this question - all the responses here have been super helpful in understanding what's actually happening with our returns. Sounds like we just need to be patient for another week or two and watch for that 570 to disappear from our transcripts.

I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation! Filed my return electronically 3 weeks ago and that "Your 2024 Tax Return Is Not Processed" message on the IRS website has been taunting me every single day. It's such a relief to read all these comments and finally understand what's actually happening. Like you, I also have Child Tax Credit on my return (for my son), and after reading through everyone's explanations about the 570 code, I checked my transcript and sure enough - there it is! Now I understand why there's such a disconnect between the website showing "not processed" and what the phone agents can see in their system. The most helpful thing I've learned from this thread is that the website basically lies to us - it only updates when your return is 100% complete, not when they're actually working on it. So frustrating that they can't just say "under review" instead of making us think nothing is happening! I'm going to stop checking the main account page obsessively (easier said than done lol) and just watch my transcript for that 570 to disappear or the 846 code to show up. Thanks for posting this - knowing I'm not alone in this waiting game makes it so much more bearable. Hopefully we'll both see our refunds soon! 🤞

I'm going through the EXACT same thing right now! Filed electronically about 4 weeks ago and that "Your 2024 Tax Return Is Not Processed" message has been driving me absolutely insane. I was so confused about the difference between what the website shows and what the phone agent told me. After reading through all these comments, I finally understand what's happening - the website only updates when your return is 100% finished, not during the actual processing steps. So even though they're actively working on it (which is what "in processing" means), the website stubbornly shows "not processed" until everything is completely done. I just checked my transcript after seeing everyone mention the 570 code and yep, there it is! I also claimed Child Tax Credit for my two kids, so that explains why we're stuck in this verification process. It's such a relief to know this is totally normal and not some horrible error with my return. The IRS really needs to fix their communication system - having the website show one thing while agents see something completely different just creates unnecessary panic for taxpayers. At least now I know to watch my transcript for that 570 to disappear or an 846 code to appear instead of obsessively checking that useless main account page every day. Thanks for posting this question - all the responses here have been incredibly helpful in understanding what's actually happening behind the scenes! 🙏

I'm dealing with this EXACT same situation right now! Filed my return 3.5 weeks ago and I've been going crazy seeing that "Your 2024 Tax Return Is Not Processed" message every single day while the phone agent told me it's "in processing." Reading through all these comments has been such a huge relief - I had no idea about the 570 code thing or that Child Tax Credit returns automatically get extra verification. Just checked my transcript and boom, there's that 570 code! I also claimed CTC for my kids so that explains everything. It's so frustrating that the IRS website basically lies to us by only showing "processed" when everything is 100% complete. They really should have an "under review" status or something instead of making us think absolutely nothing is happening with our returns. Thanks to everyone who explained what the different codes mean and what to watch for. I'm going to stop torturing myself by checking that useless main account page and just monitor my transcript weekly for the 570 to disappear or that magical 846 code to show up. This thread should be pinned somewhere - I bet thousands of people are going through this same confusing experience right now! At least now I know my refund isn't lost in some IRS black hole, just stuck in their verification queue. Hopefully we'll all see movement soon! 🤞