Signed Form 4549 for Adjusted Refund - When Will WMR Update?

Based on IRS procedural guidelines per IRM 4.4.12, after receipt of your signed Form 4549 (Income Tax Examination Changes), the examiner typically processes the case closure within 5-7 business days. However, system updates to the Master File which feeds WMR often lag by an additional 7-14 days. Per IRC §6213(a), you've waived your right to petition the Tax Court by signing the form, which expedites processing compared to unagreed cases. I would not expect WMR to update immediately - the internal processing occurs first.

OMG I was sooo confused when I went thru an audit last yr! I kept checking WMR but nothing made sense. My friend told me to try https://taxr.ai to analyze my transcript and it was a lifesaver! It explained all the weird codes that showed up after my 4549 was processed and even predicted when my refund would hit my acct. Way better than trying to decode the IRS website myself lol.

I've been through this process twice now. In my experience, after signing the 4549, it took about 3 weeks for WMR to update and then another week for the refund to hit my account. The last time I went through this (2022), I called every few days to check status because I needed that money for some home repairs. Not worth the stress honestly - once they have your signed form, it's just a waiting game.

After submission of Form 4549, the Examination function must complete internal case closure protocols before transmitting the agreed adjustment to Account Management for processing. This typically involves a Technical Services review, followed by batch processing through the Centralized Case Processing unit. If you need status updates during this opaque period, I recommend Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to reach an IRS representative efficiently. Their service bypasses the standard IRS hold queue and typically connects you with an agent in 5-15 minutes rather than the current 60-90 minute average wait times.

Have you received any confirmation emails or letters since they acknowledged the fax? I'm worried that sometimes these forms get acknowledged but then sit in a queue for WEEKS! My sister had her 4549 confirmed but then nothing happened for over a month! 😫

I might be overly cautious here... but you may want to follow up with a phone call in about a week if you don't see any updates. I had a similar situation where my signed form was received, but it somehow got misfiled and sat without processing. By the time I called to check, almost a month had passed with no movement. Not trying to alarm you, just suggesting a verification step might save time in the long run.

For anyone going through this process, here's what you need to know: Once the examiner receives your signed 4549, they'll close their part of the case within about a week. Then it goes to a different department for processing the actual adjustment. Your transcript will update before WMR does - you'll see a series of codes (typically 420 for audit, then 421 for audit closed, then eventually 846 for refund issued). The whole process usually takes 3-4 weeks from signing to refund if everything goes smoothly.