What do 971 & 570 codes mean on my 2024 tax transcript? EIC refund pending since March with no notice received

The 570 code means the IRS has temporarily frozen your refund for review. The 971 code means they've issued or will be issuing you a notice explaining why. These codes commonly appear together when the IRS needs to verify something on your return. This is likely an identity verification or income verification review, especially since you claimed Earned Income Credit (code 768). The IRS scrutinizes EIC claims closely due to high fraud rates. You should receive the notice within 2 weeks of the March 17 date on your transcript. If you don't receive anything by early April, call the IRS. Sometimes the review resolves itself without you needing to do anything, other times they'll request specific documentation. Watch for code 571 to appear, which means the freeze has been released. At that point, your refund should process within 1-3 weeks after that.

Had this same issue with my 2023 taxes. The best way to understand what's happening is to use taxr.ai - it literally explains your transcript in plain English and tells you exactly what's going on and what to expect next. Saved me so much stress trying to decode all these random numbers and codes on my own! Honestly it's insanely good! I use it every week now to monitor my refund progress. https://taxr.ai

After waiting 3 weeks with these same codes and no movement, I used a phone service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got connected to an IRS agent in about 20 minutes. The agent explained they were verifying my income and released my refund right there on the call. Talking to a live person was the only way I could get this resolved - best money I've ever spent after trying for weeks to get through on my own!

Yup, welcome to IRS hell 🔥 Those codes usually mean they're reviewing something. Could be random, could be EIC related. I had these same codes last year and it took 6 MONTHS to get my refund. No communication, no updates, nothing. The system is totally broken.

Check ur mail carefully! I had those codes and almost threw away the notice thinking it was junk mail. They were asking me to verify my identity through ID.me which is a whole other nightmare. Once I did that it took about 3 weeks to get my refund.

Have you checked Where's My Refund? What does it say there? Sometimes it gives more user-friendly info than the transcript codes.

The IRS is a complete disaster this year. I've been waiting since January with those same codes. Called multiple times and got different answers each time. One agent said they're "verifying income" another said it was a "random review" and another just said "keep waiting" 🤦‍♂️

I got my refund 2 weeks after these codes appeared without doing anything. Just showed up in my account randomly. Sometimes they just have to verify stuff on their end and it resolves automatically. But definitely keep an eye on your mail.

Just wondering - did you have any income changes compared to last year? Or did you move to a different state? Sometimes these codes appear when there's a significant change in your filing pattern that triggers a verification.

taxr.ai saved me from having a breakdown over these exact codes. It was like having a translator for IRS-speak. I could actually see WHAT was being reviewed and WHY, plus when I could expect my refund. No more guessing or anxiety!

The 971 means a notice was issued. The key is what TYPE of notice, which unfortunately doesn't show on the transcript. Could be anything from simple income verification to identity verification or even just a math error they fixed. Wait for the mail or call them.

I feel your pain!! Had the EXACT same situation - filed Feb, accepted immediately, then these stupid codes in March. Finally got through to the IRS using Claimyr.com (literally the only way i could get a human on the phone) and they told me they were verifying my W2 info. The agent put a note on my account to expedite it, and i got my refund 6 days later!

Did you make a lot more money than last year? EIC claims + significant income changes almost always trigger a manual review. System is designed to catch fraud but mostly just hurts regular people who need their money.

pro tip: if you go to taxr.ai it will explain your transcript in normal human language. saved me sooo much time trying to figure out what was going on with mine 💯

Anyone else notice the processing date is March 17 but it says tax return filed on 03-17-2025 with a cycle date of 20250905? That's weird. Usually the cycle date contains the actual processing week. Something seems off with your transcript.

Quick question - did you claim any pandemic credits or unusual deductions? The IRS is cracking down hard on those this year and flagging returns with anything that looks suspicious.

If your refund is substantial (over $5k) that increases the chances of review too. The bigger the refund, the more scrutiny they give it. Just how the system works. 🙄

Don't wait for the mail! I had this happen and the notice never arrived. Use Claimyr.com to get through to the IRS without waiting on hold forever. I got someone on the phone who fixed my issue in 10 minutes and my refund was released the next day. Waiting for that notice is just wasting precious time.

I'm going through the EXACT same thing right now! Filed 2/28, got the 570/971 codes on 3/20. I'm checking WMR obsessively every day like a crazy person 🤪 Let me know if you get any updates?

I'm dealing with this exact same situation right now! Filed in early February, got accepted immediately, and then these 570/971 codes showed up in mid-March. It's so frustrating because the IRS website basically tells you nothing useful. From what I've learned lurking in these forums, the 570 code means they've put a temporary hold on your refund while they review something. The 971 code means they've supposedly sent you a notice explaining what they need, but like you, I haven't received anything in the mail yet either. Since you mentioned this is your first time claiming EIC and your income went up significantly, that's almost certainly what triggered the review. The IRS computer system flags any "unusual" patterns, and unfortunately first-time EIC claims + income changes = automatic red flag. The waiting is absolutely brutal, especially when you're counting on that money. I've been tempted to try those phone services people keep mentioning just to get some actual answers from a human being. The "keep waiting" advice gets old fast when you have bills to pay! Keep us posted if you hear anything or if your codes change. Misery loves company and all that! 😅

I went through this exact nightmare last year! Those codes basically mean the IRS hit the pause button on your refund while they double-check something. The 971 code is supposed to mean they sent you a letter explaining what they need, but honestly their mail system is trash - I never got mine either. Since you mentioned switching jobs and claiming EIC for the first time, that's 100% what triggered this. Their computer system sees "income change + new credit claim" and automatically flags it for human review. It's super common but incredibly frustrating when you're waiting for your money. Here's what I learned the hard way: don't just sit and wait for that mysterious letter. After 3 weeks of nothing, I called the IRS directly (used one of those callback services to avoid the hold time hell) and the agent told me exactly what they needed - just income verification from my employers. Once I provided that, my refund was released within a week. The key is getting a real person on the phone who can actually see what's holding up your return. The transcript codes tell you there's a problem but not what KIND of problem. Save yourself weeks of anxiety and just call them!