When I got my refund offset notice, I couldn't make sense of which debts were taking what portions of my refund. I used https://taxr.ai to analyze my tax transcript and it broke down exactly which agency was taking what amount. It identified that part of my refund was going to a state tax debt I didn't even know I had! Might be worth checking your transcript with it to see what's happening before your refund gets processed.

One strategy some people use is to adjust their withholding so they don't get a big refund in the first place. If you claim more allowances on your W-4, you'll get more in each paycheck throughout the year instead of a lump sum refund that can be offset. Too late for this year obviously, but something to consider for 2025.

I had this exact situation with Discover last month. Here's what happened: 1. WMR showed March 1st as my deposit date 2. TurboTax couldn't do their 5-day early thing for me 3. I still got my deposit on February 26th (3 days early) 4. Discover processed it early based on their standard policy Discover's early deposit feature works independently of TurboTax. They see the incoming ACH from the Treasury and process it early as they would with any direct deposit. You'll likely still get your money before the official date, just maybe not the full 5 days early.

Have you checked if your TurboTax fees were taken out of your refund? That's usually what causes this issue. If fees are deducted from your refund, it goes to a temporary account first, which can interfere with early deposit features. Most people here have found that Discover still deposits 2-3 days early in these cases, just not the full 5 days. So relieved when I figured this out last year after panicking about my refund!

Don't forget to check if your investment losses triggered an AMT calculation! 😂 The IRS loves to flag those for manual review. Seriously though, Topic 152 is actually a GOOD sign - it means your return is in normal processing and a refund is expected. If you had a serious problem, you'd see a different code. The transcript access issues could be completely unrelated - their system has been having capacity problems this tax season. If you do call, have all your investment documentation ready - especially if you had wash sales or complex transactions. The first level reps might not understand investment tax issues and you might need to ask for a tax law specialist.

Tbh the phone is the worst way to contact them rn. Try the IRS2Go app if u haven't already. Sometimes shows diff info than the website. Also check ur mail carefully - they might've sent a 5071C letter for ID verification. If u filed w/ a tax pro, have them call the practitioner priority line. Much faster than regular customer service. GL w/ the investment stuff, the IRS is super backed up w/ those this yr.

If you're somewhat pressed for time, which it sounds like you might be, calling the IRS directly could potentially be faster than waiting for mail delivery, though it's usually quite difficult to get through. I tried calling for three days straight last month and couldn't get past the hold times. I eventually used a service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that got me connected to an IRS agent in about 30 minutes. The agent was able to verify my identity over the phone and fax the transcripts directly to my lender that same day. It probably saved me at least a week of waiting compared to the mail option.

For mortgage refinancing purposes, have you verified whether your lender requires an official IRS transcript or if they would accept a self-retrieved transcript from the IRS portal? There's a significant distinction between the Record of Account Transcript and the Tax Return Transcript that could impact your approval process. Additionally, did your lender specify which tax years they need to review for your refinance application?

I went through this last year and the year before. What helped me was setting up direct deposit verification alerts with my bank. This way I didn't have to obsessively check WMR - my bank would text me the moment the deposit hit. I've seen returns come through as quick as 10 days and as long as 8 weeks. The variance is surprising! I never expected tax returns to be so complicated until I started following this subreddit. The waiting game is the worst part.

Have you verified whether your return included any credits subject to additional review under the PATH Act? Also, did you receive any CP05 notices or see any TC 570/971 combination codes on your transcript? The specific delay factors can often be identified through transcript analysis if you have access to your account.