What does Tax Topic 151 mean on my transcript?

Tax Topic 151 indicates your tax return is under review for potential audit or adjustment. This code typically appears when the IRS has flagged your return for manual verification, which can occur for several reasons: 1. Income discrepancy between what you reported and what employers/financial institutions reported 2. Questionable credits or deductions 3. Potential identity theft concerns 4. Random selection for compliance verification You should receive CP05 Notice or Letter 4464C within 30 days explaining the specific issue. The review process generally takes 45-120 days depending on complexity and current IRS backlog status.

I'm in the same boat and need this resolved ASAP! • How long did you have this code before getting any letter? • Did you call the IRS yet? • Did you claim any unusual credits this year? • Any idea if remote work deductions could trigger this?

I think it's probably worth mentioning that Tax Topic 151 doesn't always mean you've done something wrong. Sometimes it's just a random verification check, especially if you have somewhat complex taxes or if there might possibly be some information that doesn't quite match up in their systems. I had this happen a couple years ago and it was resolved without any changes to my return, though it did take about 8 weeks.

I'm so FRUSTRATED with this whole process! When I got Tax Topic 151 last year, I spent HOURS trying to call the IRS only to get disconnected or told to call back later. FINALLY I used Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) and got through to an actual human being in about 30 minutes. The agent explained exactly what was flagged on my return and gave me a timeframe for resolution. SAVED MY SANITY! If you're seeing Topic 151, you'll definitely want to talk to an agent directly rather than just waiting around.

This is worse than when my credit card got flagged for fraud. At least with my bank I could talk to someone right away! I've been stuck with this Tax Topic 151 for almost 7 weeks now with zero communication from the IRS. No letter, nothing. Just radio silence while they hold my $3,400 refund hostage. Has anyone actually received their refund after getting this code without having to jump through a million hoops?

I had exactly the same issue 27 days ago and was terrified I'd done something wrong! Called the IRS exactly 14 times before getting through. The agent told me it was flagged because I reported exactly $12,489 in business expenses on Schedule C which apparently triggered an automatic review. They verified everything within 16 days and my refund of $2,874 was deposited exactly 5 days later. Sometimes it really is just a random check like others have said!