Here's what's actually happening with EIC returns filed in January 2024: 1. The PATH Act mandates that the IRS cannot issue refunds for returns with EIC before mid-February. This is to allow time for income verification against employer W-2 submissions. 2. Once the mid-February hold is lifted, returns don't all process at once - they enter a queue. 3. Schedule C filers with EIC get additional scrutiny because the IRS is verifying both employment income AND self-employment income claims. 4. Current processing time for these returns is averaging 28-35 days from mid-February (not from filing date), which puts many people at a late March/early April timeline. 5. WMR often doesn't update until final processing is complete, which is why many people see no movement then suddenly get a deposit date. I recommend checking your account transcript weekly rather than WMR daily. Your 846 refund issued code will appear there first.

I'm wondering if anyone knows if EIC processing times are different for people who filed with tax pros versus self-prepared returns? My brother filed the same day as me (1/24) through a CPA and already got his refund last week, while mine is still sitting with no updates. We both have businesses and claimed EIC. Is there some priority queue for professionally prepared returns compared to those of us who DIY with software?

Think of the e-file system like a nightclub bouncer - it checks your ID at the door and either lets you in or turns you away. Once you're in, you're in. The fact that you got rejected then accepted means you fixed what the bouncer was concerned about. Now your return is inside the club (IRS processing system) and moving through like everyone else's. The initial rejection doesn't follow your return around like a bad reputation once you've fixed the issue.

I tracked 42 returns with similar issues last tax season through a tax professionals forum I participate in. Of those, 39 processed within exactly the same timeframe as returns without initial rejections (21-24 days). Only 3 saw delays, and those all had additional issues unrelated to the name corrections. Based on that data, you have approximately a 93% chance of normal processing times despite the initial rejection.

OMG this post saved me from making a huge mistake! My hubby and I were literally about to file separately w/ me claiming HOH + our kiddo to get max refund (our tax guy suggested it 🙄). After reading this, I checked the actual rules and realized we'd be committing fraud! We redid everything as MFJ yesterday and while our refund is about $1,800 less than what we thought we'd get, at least we won't be looking over our shoulders for the next 3 yrs waiting for the IRS to catch us! Thx for the reality check!

I've been through the offset nightmare back in 2022. They took my entire $4300 refund for a student loan I thought was discharged through a disability program. Turns out the discharge paperwork never went through properly. The frustrating part? I had been receiving letters saying my loans were discharged for TWO YEARS before they suddenly decided they weren't. When I finally got through to someone after calling for days, they admitted it was their error but still kept my money and made me reapply for the discharge program from scratch. The system is completely broken - they make errors, you pay for it, and then you have to jump through endless hoops to fix their mistakes.

Here's a fun fact - the 'DD' in DDD stands for 'Direct Deposit' Date, not 'Due Date' like some people think! 😊 Your situation is actually optimal because you paid fees upfront. When H&R Block has to take their fees from your refund, they set up a temporary bank account (SBTPG - Santa Barbara Tax Products Group) where your refund goes first, they take their cut, then forward the rest to you. That adds 1-3 days to the process. Since you didn't do that, your refund goes straight from IRS to your bank!

My situation was almost identical to yours - H&R Block, paid fees upfront, DDD of 4/8. The money hit my account on 4/5 (Friday before). My brother, on the other hand, had his fees taken from his refund with the same DDD, and his money didn't arrive until 4/9 (day after). The difference? Mine went straight to my bank while his had to route through H&R Block's bank partner first. Your situation is more like mine than his.

Word of caution here - I had a similar situation last year and made the mistake of calling my bank repeatedly about the pending deposit. This actually triggered a fraud alert on my account (too many inquiries about an incoming large deposit apparently looks suspicious), which delayed my refund by another 5 days while they "investigated." 🙄 Sometimes checking too frequently can backfire in unexpected ways. The SBTPG system is frustratingly opaque by design, I suspect.

Most people don't realize that SBTPG operates on a different timeline than the IRS. The community wisdom is that SBTPG usually updates late evening before your DDD. For 3/22 deposits, expect SBTPG to update tonight or early tomorrow morning. Almost everyone gets their money on the actual DDD despite what the tracker shows. This happens every tax season like clockwork.