PATH Act Filers - Anyone from the 'Test Batch' Get a DDD Yet?

Not yet. Filed January 29th. Accepted same day. Still waiting. No DDD. PATH hold is real. Test batch seems like a myth. No movement on transcripts either. Checked again this morning.

Did anyone else notice how the processing seems even slower this year? I've been tracking my transcript codes daily using https://taxr.ai and it's showing my return is still in the initial verification stage. Hasn't the test batch been a thing for the past few years? Are we just being strung along with false hope? Anyone else using transcript analysis to figure out where they actually stand in the queue?

The 'test batch' concept is often misunderstood. What typically happens is that the IRS begins processing PATH returns before February 15th, but doesn't release refunds until after that date. Compared to non-PATH returns which are processed in about 21 days, PATH returns follow a different timeline altogether. I've analyzed patterns from 2021-2023, and the 'test batch' typically shows transcript updates 3-5 days before the main PATH release, but actual deposits still don't happen until after the official date in most cases.

According to Internal Revenue Code §6402(m) and the PATH Act provisions, the IRS cannot issue refunds for returns claiming EITC or ACTC before February 15th. If you need to know exactly where your return stands in the process, I've had success using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to get through to an IRS representative. They connected me within 15 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own. The agent confirmed my return was selected for the early processing group but couldn't provide a specific deposit date.

I've been tracking exactly 47 PATH filers in my tax preparation business. Not one has received a DDD yet, including 12 who filed on January 22nd (the first day). The earliest transcript update was on February 22nd, showing a 570 code. The test batch theory isn't matching the actual data I'm seeing for 2024 processing.

I'm so relieved to see this post! I've been freaking out thinking I was the only one still waiting! 😫 Filed January 25th with EITC and was told I'd be in this mythical test batch. Still nothing on WMR except "still processing" and my transcript hasn't updated at all. The anxiety is killing me because I need this money for my kid's daycare deposit!

For anyone wondering about the PATH Act timeline, here's what typically happens: 1. File your return (January-April) 2. Return accepted by IRS systems 3. Initial processing begins but pauses if PATH credits claimed 4. After February 15th, processing resumes for PATH returns 5. Verification of income and credits occurs 6. Transcript updates with cycle code 7. WMR updates to approved 8. Direct deposit or check mailed The test batch, if it exists, simply means your return completes steps 3-5 earlier, but step 4 still applies to when funds are released.

I actually did receive my refund yesterday and I filed with EITC on January 24th! My transcript updated last Friday with an 846 code dated for 2/28. I never saw any indication I was in a test batch - my WMR showed processing for weeks, then suddenly changed to approved last weekend. The money showed up exactly on the date shown in my transcript.