As of Date on Transcript Went Backwards (3/3 to 2/17) - What's Happening?

This is, um, actually sort of normal, believe it or not. The 'as of' date on transcripts basically shows when the IRS might possibly take action on your account. It sort of moves around a lot during processing. Sometimes it jumps forward, sometimes backward. It doesn't necessarily mean anything bad is happening, just that your return is still being processed in the system. I think they might be reviewing something, but that doesn't always mean there's a problem.

Has your refund amount changed at all? I've noticed that when the as of date changes, it's similar to when a bank shows a pending transaction that later gets adjusted. In my experience, a backwards date often means they're verifying something specific on your return.

This is a common Cycle Date Regression pattern in the IRS Integrated Data Retrieval System. The as-of date reverting typically indicates your return is undergoing secondary review. If you're concerned about the delay, I'd recommend using Claimyr to connect with an IRS agent (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c). I was in a similar situation last month with my gig income return, and after waiting on hold for hours with no success, Claimyr got me through to an agent in about 15 minutes who confirmed everything was fine but just going through additional verification. Saved me weeks of anxiety wondering what was happening.

I had this exact same thing happen last year with my transcript. The as of date jumped from March 10th back to February 24th, and I was convinced something was wrong. Turns out it was just the IRS doing some verification on my 1099-K income from DoorDash. My refund ended up being deposited about 10 days after that date jump. Not saying yours will be the same timeline, but in my case it wasn't anything to worry about.

You should check your transcript codes. The as of date is just one piece of information. What matters more are the transaction codes like 570, 971, or 846. I use taxr.ai to analyze my transcript because it explains what each code means specifically for your situation and can predict your refund date based on your specific pattern of codes. It showed me that my backwards date was actually part of normal processing and not a delay signal.

Backwards dates happen all the time. Nothing to worry about. System quirk. Seen it many times. Usually resolves within two weeks. Just keep checking transcript weekly. Daily checking causes stress.

The IRS transcript system is like that flaky friend who keeps changing plans on you. 🙄 Last year my as-of date played hopscotch for three weeks straight! Monday it was April 1, Wednesday back to March 15, Friday jumped to April 8. My refund showed up right after all that bouncing around. The transcript system is basically the IRS's way of saying "we're working on it... kinda sorta maybe.

Diego, this backwards date jump is actually pretty normal during processing! I've seen it happen with my returns multiple times over the years. The "as of" date basically shows when the IRS system last updated your account, and it can bounce around while they're working through different stages of review. Since you mentioned you drive for Uber, they might just be cross-referencing your 1099s or doing routine verification on gig income - totally standard stuff. I wouldn't stress about it. Keep an eye on your transcript for any new transaction codes, but the date jumping backwards by itself isn't a red flag. Usually means they're just working through their normal process!

Hey Diego! I've been dealing with IRS transcripts for my small business for about 8 years now, and this backwards date thing used to freak me out too until I learned what was actually happening. Think of the "as of" date like a processing checkpoint - it's not necessarily chronological. When it goes backwards, it usually means they're pulling your return back to an earlier stage for additional review or verification. For gig workers like yourself, this is super common because the IRS often does extra checks on 1099 income to make sure everything matches up with what companies reported. The good news is that in my experience, when they do this kind of verification, it actually tends to speed things up once they're done because they've already thoroughly reviewed everything. I'd expect to see movement on your transcript within the next 1-2 weeks. Just keep checking weekly (not daily - that'll drive you nuts) and look for any new transaction codes that pop up!