An IRS tax transcript is a summary of your tax account that shows the key information from your return, payments, adjustments, and refund status. It’s a window into how your tax return is being processed by the IRS.

There are five types:

• Tax Return Transcript – shows most line items from your original return.
• Account Transcript – shows all activity, codes, and processing details.
• Record of Account Transcript – combines return and account info.
• Wage & Income Transcript – lists W-2s, 1099s, and other income.
• Verification of Non-Filing Letter – confirms no return was filed.

The Account Transcript — it lists the transaction codes and dates showing when your return was processed, refunded, or delayed.

You can download it instantly at irs.gov/get-transcript or request it by mail or phone. Online access requires identity verification.

Usually within 1–2 weeks after the IRS accepts your return (for e-filed returns). Paper filers may need to wait 4–6 weeks.

A cycle code (like 20250605) tells you when your return was processed in the IRS’s weekly system.

• 2025 = year
• 06 = processing week (6th week of 2025)
• 05 = processing day (Thursday)

Cycle day numbers mean:

• 01 – Friday
• 02 – Monday
• 03 – Tuesday
• 04 – Wednesday
• 05 – Thursday

So a cycle ending in “05” means it was processed on a Thursday.

It’s an internal IRS timestamp that helps determine when your tax account was updated and when your refund may be released. It doesn’t guarantee a refund date but gives clues about progress.

The as-of date is a balance date for your account — it shows the last date the IRS updated or plans to update your transcript. It’s not a refund date, but it often lines up with upcoming changes or releases.

Processing Date – when the IRS expects to finish processing or post your return.
As-of Date – when your account balance and actions are scheduled to post.
They can match, but often differ by a week or two.

It’s an estimated completion date for your return. Many taxpayers receive their refund within a few days before or after this date — but it’s not a guarantee.

Transaction codes (TC) are three-digit numbers that show actions taken on your tax account — such as processing, refunds, holds, or adjustments.

On your Account Transcript, in the middle section. Each code line shows the Code (like 846), Description, Date, and Amount.

150 – Tax Return Filed and Tax Liability Assessed. It means the IRS accepted and posted your return to your account. It’s the baseline code for every processed return.

846 – Refund Issued. This is the most important code — it means your refund has been approved and scheduled for release. The date next to it is your expected refund date.

570 – Additional Account Action Pending. This indicates a temporary hold or review. It means your return is paused for additional checks or verification.

971 – Notice Issued. This means the IRS mailed you a letter explaining a change, delay, or request for more information.

841 – Refund Canceled or Reversed. If you see both, it means the refund was issued but then pulled back (often due to an offset, correction, or banking issue).

898 – Refund Applied to Non-IRS Debt. Your refund was reduced or used to pay another federal or state debt.

424 – Examination Request Indicator. This means your return was flagged for manual review or audit consideration.

420 – Examination of Tax Return. The IRS officially started a review or audit of your return.

It means your refund hold (570) has been resolved (571) and your account is clear to proceed — often leading to a 846 refund code soon after.

290 – Additional Tax Assessed. This means the IRS found you owe more tax. The amount appears to the right.

291 – Reduced Tax Liability. Your tax bill decreased after review or correction.

810 – Refund Freeze. Your refund is temporarily held — often for verification, identity issues, or return accuracy checks.

811 – Refund Freeze Released. The IRS lifted the freeze and your refund should continue processing.

It means your refund is still on hold. The IRS hasn’t yet resolved the reason for the freeze.

IRS transcripts typically update Tuesday through Saturday, depending on your cycle. Weekly accounts update once per week; daily accounts update more often.

• Daily Accounts – update Tuesday through Saturday.
• Weekly Accounts – update once a week (usually Thursday). Most filers are daily unless their account is under review or certain refund holds apply.

Zeros often mean the IRS hasn’t completed processing yet. Once finalized, the actual amounts will appear beside each code.

It often means your account was re-reviewed or an update was scheduled. A moving as-of date usually signals continued processing — not a problem.

Breakdown:

• 2025 = tax processing year
• 04 = 4th week of processing
• 05 = Thursday posting date

So this return posted on the Thursday of Week 4 (around late January).

Look for Code 846 – Refund Issued with a date and amount. That’s your confirmation.

Dates appear as MM/DD/YYYY next to each code. They mark when each transaction posted or will post to your account.

Future dates often show planned postings — the IRS schedules certain updates ahead of time, like refund releases or adjustments.

It’s the IRS’s internal schedule that matches cycle codes to specific calendar dates. It helps tax pros estimate refund release windows.

You can estimate it, yes. Generally, refunds post 3–5 business days after your cycle code date if no holds exist.

It means your return hasn’t posted to the master file yet. It’s still being processed and hasn’t been finalized.

It means your return was accepted, processed, and your official tax liability was recorded.

That can happen if your return was reprocessed or corrected more than once — the most recent one is your final record.

Very rarely — but sometimes bank rejections or offsets can affect it. Once 846 appears, the IRS has released the funds.

If you see Code 898, part of your refund was used to pay a debt. You’ll also get a letter from the Bureau of Fiscal Service explaining the offset.

This shows the amount you owe or your current account balance. A zero usually means your account is settled.

Yes. Codes like 570 or 810 often appear during identity checks. You may also receive a 5071C or 4883C letter.

N/A (not available) means your tax year isn’t posted yet — or the system hasn’t generated your transcript file.

Freeze codes (like 570, 810, 898) temporarily stop IRS actions such as refunds, while the IRS checks for issues or applies offsets.

Release codes (like 571, 811, 846) clear those freezes, allowing your refund or update to move forward.

Usually within 3–7 business days, once the hold is lifted and the IRS issues Code 846.

Check it once a week — excessive logins can lock your IRS account. Updates usually occur overnight, midweek.

Follow this simple order:

1. Find your cycle code and as-of date.
2. Locate Codes 150, 570, 846, etc.
3. Watch for movement — 570 → 571 → 846 = refund path.
4. Compare your as-of date with the current IRS posting cycle calendar.

Understanding these elements helps you track your refund progress better than Where’s My Refund? alone.