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I bank with Chase and had an 846 code dated 1/31 this year. The money hit my account at exactly 3:17am on 1/31, not a day sooner. Last year was the same story - right on the date, not before. My cousin banks with a credit union and she always gets hers 2-3 days before the 846 date. It's one of those weird banking things where the big banks follow the rules to the letter while smaller institutions sometimes give you early access.
Think of the 846 code like a scheduled package delivery. The IRS has loaded your money onto the truck (approved your refund) and scheduled delivery for 2/24. Chase is like that delivery company that never arrives early - they'll deliver exactly on the scheduled date, not before. Some other banks are like the eager delivery person who brings packages a day early when they have room on the truck. I've tracked my Chase deposits for 4 years now, and they're as predictable as sunrise - always exactly on the 846 date, which surprised me given how complicated everything else with taxes seems to be!
Last year I was in the same situation - filed January 23rd and didn't get my refund until March 29th. No notices, no explanations, just silence. When I finally got through to someone, they said my return had been randomly selected for a "consistency review" which doesn't generate any notifications. I had to wait it out, but man was it stressful when you're counting on that money. Have you tried checking your account transcript rather than just the return transcript? Sometimes there are clues there.
OMG the IRS system is SO MUCH MORE COMPLICATED than I ever realized!! š« I thought filing early meant getting paid early but there's like 20 different departments your return can get stuck in! I've learned that even when your transcript shows processing complete, there's still fraud detection, random review selection, income matching, credit verification... it's INSANE how many steps there are! And they don't tell you which stage you're in! Why can't they just be CLEAR about where our returns are??
According to the Return Processing Pipeline (RPP) metrics, the IRS is experiencing a 22.7% increase in processing times for returns filed in the second week of February compared to last year. This is likely due to enhanced fraud detection algorithms implemented in the Master File System. I suggest checking your transcript for Transaction Code 150, which indicates your return has been processed through the initial verification stage. Without this code, your return is still in pre-processing.
I feel this so much. It's like being stuck in tax limbo! Last year my return sat in this pre-processing stage for almost 3 weeks before suddenly moving through all the stages in 2 days. The IRS system is like an old car - sometimes it stalls for no reason, then suddenly roars to life when you least expect it. Hang in there!
According to Internal Revenue Manual 21.4.1.3, the cycle code indicates when your return completed processing. Per IRM 21.4.1.3(1), the first two digits (20) represent the year, the next two (25) represent the processing week of the year, and the last digit (5) indicates the processing day within the week. The as of date is a compliance-related marker and does not directly correlate to refund issuance timing. I would recommend checking your account transcript again next Friday morning (after the overnight Thursday update). If PATH Act verification is complete, you should see an 846 code with a direct deposit date, typically 5-7 days after the code appears.
So if my cycle code is 20250502, does that mean my return completed processing on a Tuesday (2) of the 5th week? And would that put me on a different update schedule than the original poster?
Is there any way to see these updates in real-time rather than waiting for the IRS systems to update? My refund is pretty substantial this year and I'm checking multiple times daily.
Just wanted to share some hope - I had almost the EXACT same situation. Filed 1/14, accepted 1/15, cycle code 20250505, and my as of date changed from 03/10 to 02/17 last week. Got my 846 code yesterday with a DDD of 02/28! The system is working, just slowly. The as of date change was definitely the signal that things were moving for me. Hang in there!
NeonNebula
I'm not convinced cycle codes are as reliable as people claim. On February 16th, I had a DDD for February 21st, but my deposit didn't arrive until February 24th. On March 2nd, my brother had a similar situation with a 3-day delay. The IRS system is overwhelmed this season, and I've noticed DDDs are more like estimates than guarantees. I'd prepare for your money to arrive anywhere from March 24th to March 28th.
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Isabella Costa
ā¢Thanks for sharing this. I probably shouldn't count on the exact date for my bills then. Maybe I'll budget for a few days later just to be safe.
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Ravi Malhotra
OMG I'm so happy for you!! š The transcript access issue has been HORRIBLE this year! I spent 6 straight days trying to get into mine and almost cried when it finally worked. The IRS really needs to upgrade their authentication system - it's like they're still using technology from 1995. Hope your refund hits right on time!
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