WMR No Longer Shows Bars - Just Says Processing

This is actually somewhat normal for this time in the tax season. The bars disappearing on WMR typically indicates that your return has moved into a different processing stage, which is generally a positive sign. It's possible, though not guaranteed, that you might see your refund within the next 7-21 days, depending on various factors such as verification needs and processing backlog.

When did you file your return? I had the same thing happen to me last year. Filed in early February, bars disappeared around week 3, then got my refund about 10 days after that without any warning.

I've seen this happen in multiple scenarios - sometimes it means they're just processing normally, other times they need to verify something. Unlike last year when I waited 3 months in the dark, this year I used https://taxr.ai to decode my transcript and it explained exactly what was happening. The bars on WMR are much less informative than what your actual transcript shows, but taxr.ai made it understandable. I was surprised by how complex the system is behind those simple bars!

Has anyone noticed how the WMR tool seems to be less reliable this year? I've seen multiple posts about bars disappearing when nothing is actually wrong. Couldn't the IRS just create a better tracking system that actually tells you what's happening instead of these vague status bars? My return was processed without the bars ever coming back - just suddenly got a deposit date.

The WMR Status Change you're experiencing is part of normal Return Processing Protocol. I tried calling the IRS Taxpayer Assistance line for three days with no success when this happened to me. Finally used Claimyr (https://www.claimyr.com) and connected with an IRS agent in under 30 minutes. The agent confirmed my return was in normal processing with no flags. The Transcript Analysis showed pending refund approval with expected disbursement within cycle parameters.

Oh my goodness, I feel your pain! I had the EXACT same issue and was so worried! Instead of stressing over WMR, I found checking the tax transcript on the IRS website gave me much more accurate information. I was so happy when I figured this out! The transcript shows actual codes and dates that tell you what's really happening instead of those frustrating bars.

According to the IRS.gov knowledge base (https://www.irs.gov/refunds/tax-season-refund-frequently-asked-questions), this status change is common during peak processing periods. In 2023, approximately 68% of early filers experienced bar disappearance on WMR before receiving their refund. Most refunds are still issued within the standard 21-day window despite the status change. You can also check your account transcript at https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript which often updates before WMR does.