IRS Code 571 Explained: Resolving a Previously Posted Code 570
Understand what the release entry establishes, why $0.00 can still matter, and what to read before expecting a refund.
Last reviewed: October 24, 2026 • Individual income tax accounts
Quick answer: Code 571 reverses the related Code 570 hold. It can indicate progress on that restriction, but it does not itself issue a refund, identify a deposit date, or prove every other account issue has ended . Read later transactions and any IRS instructions separately.
After seeing “additional account action pending,” a later release entry can be reassuring. The useful next step is to distinguish what was released from what has actually been paid.
This guide focuses on reading Code 571 in context. If you need the earlier hold explained, start with IRS Code 570: additional account action pending . For the wider framework, use the tax transcript hub .
What does IRS Code 571 mean?
IRS Document 6209 identifies Code 571 as a reversal of Code 570, releasing the related freeze status. In this guide’s common individual-account context, it addresses a previously posted pending-action hold.
Read the entry narrowly: the related restriction was reversed. To know whether money is available for refund, you still need the account’s financial position and any other restrictions or later changes.
Hold reversed
Code 571 addresses the related pending-action hold.
Account reviewed
Read other transactions and correspondence to identify what remains.
Refund recorded
Look for separate refund activity and official status information.
Why does Code 571 often show $0.00?
A release can change account status without adding or subtracting money through that line. The zero is the transaction amount, not your refund amount or the entire account balance.
Does it mean the original Code 570 was a mistake?
Not necessarily. Code 572 is the distinct correction code for a 570 entered in error. Code 571 alone does not establish that the earlier hold was improper.
Code 570, Code 571, Code 572, and refund activity
| Code | Basic role | What it does not establish alone |
|---|---|---|
| 570 | Additional action pending or a credit hold. | The precise issue or a universal waiting period. |
| 571 | Reversal of the related hold. | Refund issuance or clearance of every other restriction. |
| 572 | Correction of a hold entered in error. | A payment date. |
| 846 / 840 | Refund issuance activity; 840 is a manual refund transaction. | That a payment cannot later be canceled or otherwise affected. |
Keep the status question separate from the money question. Removing a restriction and issuing money are different account events.
Original fictional example: release comes before a separate refund entry
This simplified ledger is not an IRS-issued transcript. Descriptions are shortened and dates are omitted. The running position is our teaching annotation, not a standard transcript column. The sequence is not a promised processing schedule.
| Code | Illustrative description | Amount | Running position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150 | Original tax assessment | $2,800.00 | $2,800 debit |
| 806 | Withholding credit | −$4,100.00 | $1,300 credit |
| 570 | Additional account action pending | $0.00 | $1,300 credit |
| 571 | Related hold reversed | $0.00 | $1,300 credit |
| 846 | Refund issued | $1,300.00 | $0 |
Stop at Code 571
The related hold has been reversed, and the simplified account still has a $1,300 credit. At this stage, the excerpt has not shown a refund transaction.
Read the later Code 846
The separate refund entry uses the $1,300 credit and brings the simplified position to zero. A real account may contain later cancellation, reversal, transfer, or adjustment activity.
Change the financial facts
If assessed tax had been $4,100 instead of $2,800, the same withholding would leave no simplified overpayment. A hold release would not create a refund merely because Code 571 appeared.
Examples omit other payments, credits, penalties, interest, offsets, and prior refunds. They demonstrate accounting relationships, not refund eligibility or timing.
Why might there be no refund entry after Code 571?
The absence of a refund entry alone does not explain the account. Separate the questions that still need answers.
| Question | Where to look |
|---|---|
| Is there an overpayment left? | Reconcile assessed tax, all credits and payments, later adjustments, and prior refunds. |
| Does another restriction remain? | Read the full account and ask the IRS if the status is unclear. |
| Was money moved or used elsewhere? | Review transfer, offset, and other account activity. |
| Has refund activity posted separately? | Read later transactions and official refund status. |
| Is a response still needed? | Read current notices and any updated IRS instructions. |
IRS freeze procedures expressly account for situations in which another function still holds the refund. That is why a release entry should not be treated as proof that every restriction has disappeared.
How long after Code 571 will a refund arrive?
There is no universal countdown from the code. Some IRS procedures provide a timeframe when specific conditions are met; that does not turn the same period into a rule for every account.
Use the timeframe communicated for your situation and the official IRS refund tools . Do not add a fixed number of days to the transcript date or copy another taxpayer’s sequence.
Dates, notices, and what the release does not explain
The date beside Code 571 is not automatically a bank-deposit date, the day an employee completed every review, or a deadline to respond to a notice.
If you received correspondence, keep reading its instructions. A transcript entry alone does not tell you that a document request or deadline was withdrawn. Ask for clarification if current instructions and account activity seem inconsistent.
Use this reading: “The related hold was reversed. I need to check the remaining account position and any current instructions.”
Avoid jumping to “Every issue is closed and the full refund will be deposited next week.”
For example, CP05 guidance for a return you filed generally directs you to wait 60 days from the notice date before contacting the IRS if no refund or further communication arrives. The applicable notice—not Code 571 alone—supplies the relevant instructions. See IRS CP05 guidance .
What should you do after seeing Code 571?
- Confirm the year and read the full account. Find the earlier hold and later activity rather than relying on a cropped screenshot.
- Reconcile the financial position. Include tax, payments, credits, adjustments, transfers, and any prior refunds.
- Check current correspondence and status. Identify any outstanding request or updated IRS instruction.
- Separate release from issuance. Record whether the transcript shows only a release or also a refund transaction.
- Follow the applicable contact timeframe. If you need help, ask a specific question about the unresolved issue rather than treating Code 571 as a deposit promise.
Useful questions for the IRS
- Which pending-action hold does this Code 571 resolve?
- Does another restriction remain on this tax year’s account?
- What is the current account position after later activity?
- Is any notice response still required?
- What timeframe applies to the remaining action?
Use the number on a verified notice first. General individual account assistance is available at 800-829-1040. Check IRS contact guidance for current options.
If you filed an amendment or the IRS adjusted the account after processing, the IRS recommends a record of account transcript for combined return and account information. See the transcript FAQs .
Your Code 571 follow-up worksheet
Record what was released and what remains unknown
Keep this worksheet and your transcript private. Do not publish taxpayer identification numbers, addresses, or notice barcodes.
IRS Code 571 frequently asked questions
Does Code 571 resolve Code 570?
It reverses the related pending-action hold. Read the full account to identify any remaining issue.
Does it mean my refund was approved?
It is a hold-release entry, not a refund-approval message or refund transaction.
Why does it show $0.00?
A status change can occur without changing the dollar balance through that row.
Is Code 571 the same as Code 572?
No. Code 572 corrects a hold entered in error. Code 571 alone does not establish that the original hold was a mistake.
Will Code 846 always appear next?
Do not assume a universal next code. Other activity or restrictions may matter.
Can another hold remain?
Yes. Reversing the related hold does not establish clearance of every restriction.
Will I receive the original refund amount?
The full account determines the amount remaining after adjustments, transfers, offsets, or other activity.
Is the Code 571 date my deposit date?
No. Use separate refund activity and official status information.
Should I ignore an IRS letter after seeing Code 571?
Do not assume a request or deadline was withdrawn. Read current instructions and clarify any conflict with the IRS.
Should I file another return to speed up payment?
Code 571 alone does not establish a need for another return or an amendment. Follow the applicable IRS instructions.
A resolved hold is one part of the account.
Code 571 addresses the related Code 570 restriction. Read the financial position, other account activity, and current IRS instructions before drawing a conclusion about payment.
Official sources
- IRS Document 6209, Section 8A — Codes 570, 571, and 572.
- IRM 21.5.6: Freeze Codes — release conditions and other restrictions.
- CP05 guidance and notice guidance .
- Transcript FAQs .
- Refund information and contact guidance .
RefundTalk is an independent educational resource and is not affiliated with the IRS. Examples are fictional and simplified. Your account facts and IRS correspondence determine the instructions and deadlines that apply.
