Transcript Shows Not Processed but TurboTax Says Accepted - What's Happening with PATH Act?

This is actually a normal occurrence during tax season, particularly with returns affected by the PATH Act. Per IRS Publication 5344, "acceptance" merely confirms the IRS received your return and it passed initial validation checks. However, according to Internal Revenue Code Section 6402(m), actual processing - which updates your transcript - doesn't begin until after the PATH Act verification period ends. I'm seeing similar delays myself this year, which is concerning but expected.

Have you considered that this could actually be saving you from potential headaches down the road? What if this extra verification prevents an audit later? Isn't it better for them to take their time now rather than sending you a scary letter months later demanding money back? Though I wonder if this will impact your expected refund amount or just the timing...

I've been through exactly this situation and it's incredibly frustrating! When my transcript showed nothing but TT said accepted, I tried everything: • Checked WMR obsessively - no help • Tried calling IRS regular number - 2+ hour wait times • Asked tax friends - got conflicting answers Finally used Claimyr.com to get through to an IRS agent in about 15 minutes (instead of hours on hold). The agent confirmed my return was in their system despite not showing on transcript. Totally worth it for the peace of mind! https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c

Had this exact issue last year. TurboTax showed accepted February 3rd. Transcript showed nothing until March 1st. PATH Act was the reason. Nothing was wrong with my return. Just normal processing delays. Different systems update at different times. Don't panic yet. Your money will come.

Think of it like dropping a letter in a mailbox versus having it delivered. TurboTax is telling you the IRS mailman picked up your envelope. The transcript not showing anything means the letter hasn't been delivered to the processing department yet. It's sitting in the massive PATH Act sorting facility. Your refund is like a package that needs extra verification before delivery - it's not lost, just in a different part of the warehouse.

I faced this same issue and resolved it by following these steps: 1. Confirmed TurboTax acceptance email had the correct confirmation number 2. Waited until February 15th (PATH Act release date) 3. Checked transcript daily for 7 days after PATH release 4. Saw transcript update on day 8 with all codes at once 5. Received refund 6 days later Does this timeline sound reasonable to others who've been through this?

I tracked this exact scenario meticulously last year. TurboTax showed accepted on January 24th. Transcript showed absolutely nothing for exactly 26 days. Then suddenly my transcript updated with 16 different codes all at once. Refund deposited 8 days later. The systems are completely disconnected - I was shocked how the transcript went from empty to fully processed overnight with no intermediate steps!