I might be able to provide some insight, though I'm not an expert by any means. My return was stuck in "preparing" for about 18 days, which was making me pretty nervous since I'm trying to catch up on some bills. From what I understand, the IRS is dealing with staffing shortages and a larger than usual volume of returns this season. When I finally got through to someone on the phone (took several attempts), they explained that my return was selected for a random review - nothing was wrong, just part of their fraud prevention measures. The agent mentioned that many returns are taking the full 21 business days (not calendar days) to process this year, and some are taking even longer. So it's possibly normal, but definitely frustrating when you're counting on that money.

Just wanted to share a positive outcome - I was in exactly your situation three weeks ago! Filed in early March, stuck on "preparing" for 17 days straight. I was checking WMR obsessively every morning. Then suddenly last Tuesday, it jumped straight to "refund approved" and the money was in my account the next day. No explanation for the delay, no interim status updates. My theory is that they batch process certain returns, especially during peak season. So hang in there - sometimes these things resolve themselves without any action needed on your part. The system is definitely backed up right now with the April rush, but it's still working... just slowly.

According to the latest data from the IRS (https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/filing-season-statistics), the average refund this year is about $3,011, and most direct deposits are being issued within 21 days. Credit Karma's advance is essentially a no-fee bridge loan, which is rare in financial products. One thing to consider that hasn't been mentioned: if you're eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit, your refund will be delayed until at least mid-February due to the PATH Act regardless of when you file. In those cases, an advance might make more sense since there's a mandated delay.

Let me share my cautionary tale from 2022. I took the Credit Karma advance, got $1,500 on their card, and then my actual refund was adjusted down by the IRS due to a math error. CK had already given me the advance based on my expected refund, so when the actual refund came in $800 lower, they still took back the full advance amount from what the IRS sent. I ended up owing them the difference, which they eventually wrote off, but it created a big headache. Just remember that if anything changes with your refund amount after you take the advance, it can create complications.

I've been tracking IRS processing patterns for several years, and here's what I can tell you about your situation: • Early-season filers (Jan 29-Feb 10) are currently seeing 17-23 day processing times • Returns without dependents are processing 30% faster on average • Transcript updates often lag 1-4 days behind actual refund issuance • The WMR tool updates more frequently than transcripts during peak season • Gig worker returns with multiple 1099s but no complex deductions typically fall in the "standard" processing timeline Based on your January 31st filing date, I'd expect your refund to arrive between February 17-24, potentially before your transcript shows any update. This is completely normal and matches the patterns we're seeing this tax season.

Same thing happened to me. Transcript didn't update. Refund showed up anyway. IRS systems don't talk to each other well. Nothing to worry about. Check your bank account daily. That's more reliable than transcripts this time of year.

Try using the IRS2Go app instead of the website. It's pulling from the same database but sometimes works when the main site is down. Also check your bank account directly. Many times the deposit hits before any of the IRS tools update. If all else fails, log into your IRS online account and check your transcript - it's more reliable than WMR anyway.

Just to clarify for everyone - the IRS does routine maintenance on their systems, but they usually do it overnight. This current outage seems unplanned. I've been doing taxes for 8 years, and in my experience, these unexpected outages usually resolve within a day. The good news? Sometimes after these system hiccups, there's a flood of refund updates. Like tax Christmas! 🎁 So maybe check again tomorrow morning - you might be pleasantly surprised.

Be careful about assuming when your refund will arrive. On March 14th last year, I had the exact same situation - cycle code changed from 05 to 04 and 846 appeared. The transcript showed a refund date of March 19th, but my bank didn't process it until March 23rd. Some banks hold IRS deposits for 1-3 business days for verification. I'd recommend not counting on the money until at least 3-5 business days after the date shown with your 846 code, especially if you need it for medical expenses. Better to be pleasantly surprised than disappointed.

After dealing with this exact situation for three consecutive tax seasons, I've noticed a pattern. The cycle code change from 05 to 04 typically indicates your return has moved from weekly batch processing to daily processing for final disbursement. It's actually a positive sign! In my experience, refunds with the 04 cycle code at the end tend to arrive slightly faster than projected—often 1-2 days before the date listed with the 846 code. I was pleasantly surprised when mine arrived early this year despite the cycle code change that initially had me worried.