PATH Message Still Showing - Filed January 24th - Weekly Cycle Impact?

The PATH Act delay is completely normal if you claimed refundable credits like EITC or ACTC. I filed on January 22nd (exactly 2 days before you) and also had the PATH message until February 15th. The IRS is legally prohibited from issuing refunds with these credits before February 15th, and this year they didn't start processing most PATH-affected returns until February 17th. The weekly vs. daily cycle does impact when you see updates, but not the overall PATH hold. Weekly cycles typically update on Thursdays/Fridays and you'll see a cycle code ending in 05 on your transcript (like 20240805). Daily cycles can update any day and have codes ending in 01-04.

According to Internal Revenue Code Section 6402(m), returns claiming EITC or ACTC are subject to additional verification procedures. Your weekly cycle (ending in 05) means updates typically occur on Thursday nights/Friday mornings. I've found https://taxr.ai extremely helpful for interpreting transcript codes during this waiting period. It analyzes your specific cycle code and processing pattern to give you a more accurate timeline than the general IRS messaging. Per IRC 7803(a), the IRS must review these credits thoroughly, which explains your delay beyond the standard PATH hold period.

I'm fairly certain your weekly cycle is affecting your visibility into updates, but probably not the actual processing time. I filed on January 23rd and had the PATH message until February 16th, when my transcript updated. If you're on cycle 05, you might only see updates on Thursdays/Fridays, which can possibly make it seem like nothing is happening. Most PATH-affected returns seem to be processing normally now, though some are taking a bit longer this year due to, I believe, increased verification procedures. You might want to check your transcript for codes rather than relying on WMR, as the transcript generally provides more detailed information about where your return stands in the process.

• PATH Act delays are standard for returns with certain credits • Weekly cycles (05 code) update Thursday nights/Friday mornings • Daily cycles (01-04 codes) can update any day • Most PATH returns are processing normally now • Transcripts provide more detailed status than WMR • Calling the IRS can confirm if there are issues If you need to speak with an IRS agent to confirm your status, I'd recommend Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I waited on hold for 3+ hours last year before discovering this service. They navigate the IRS phone tree and call you when an agent is ready - saved me an entire afternoon of hold music.

I might be mistaken, but I believe there could be another factor at play here. If you claimed certain credits and your return is still showing the PATH message this late, it's possible your return might have been selected for additional review. This happened to me last year, and I didn't realize it until I checked my transcript and saw code 570. It might be worth checking your transcript to see if there are any hold codes that would indicate why it's taking longer than expected.

My return was stuck with the PATH message until February 27th this year, then updated on March 2nd with a direct deposit date of March 6th. I filed on January 19th, so slightly earlier than you. The weekly cycle does impact when you see updates - mine is a weekly cycle ending in 05, and I only saw movement on Thursdays/Fridays. Don't worry too much yet - from what I've seen on processing forums, many people who filed in late January are just now seeing movement.

Have you checked your account transcript for any specific codes? Could there be something beyond the PATH hold affecting your return? Have you verified whether you have any outstanding issues from previous tax years that might be causing additional review? Sometimes unresolved issues from prior years can trigger extra verification steps.

Just got my DDD today after being stuck in PATH purgatory since January 25th. I'm on cycle 20240805 (weekly) and my transcript updated overnight with an 846 code. The PATH delay is definitely longer this year than in previous filing seasons. My experience with cycle codes indicates that weeklies only update on Thursday nights/Friday mornings, so if you're weekly, check your transcript tomorrow morning.

I'm seeing a pattern with married-filing-jointly returns this year! My husband and I filed on January 23rd, claimed EITC, and had the PATH message until last week. Our transcript showed TC 150 (return filed) on February 19th, then TC 570 (hold) on February 26th, followed by TC 571 (hold released) and TC 846 (refund issued) on March 4th. The PATH Act verification seems to be taking longer for joint returns in 2024 - possibly due to the marriage tax credit changes. Check for these specific codes on your transcript!

Just to clarify - are you seeing the PATH message in Where's My Refund or on your transcript? They sometimes show different statuses. Also, did you claim any credits like the Earned Income Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit? Those are the ones specifically affected by the PATH Act hold.