If you’re one of the millions of taxpayers refreshing “Where’s My Refund?” or checking your IRS Tax Transcript for updates, you’re not alone. Every week, the IRS processes millions of returns, adjustments, and refunds — and those updates don’t all happen at once.
Here’s what you need to know about when and how often the IRS updates your tax transcript so you can better predict when your refund might move.
IRS Transcript Update Schedule
The IRS systems can technically update any day Monday through Friday, but there are two main types of accounts that determine when your transcript updates:
1. Daily Accounts
- Daily accounts are updated every night, Monday through Friday.
- However, the largest batch updates for daily accounts typically post on Tuesday mornings (after the Monday night processing cycle).
- Taxpayers with daily accounts may see updates midweek as well, depending on IRS activity, error resolution, or transcript code changes.
2. Weekly Accounts
- Weekly accounts usually only update once per week, typically Friday mornings (after Thursday night’s processing).
- Most weekly filers are those with certain IRS cycle codes ending in 05, 09, or 00 — often taxpayers who filed early or had their return held for review.
- Updates for weekly accounts can include refund releases (Code 846), review notices (Code 570/971), or other major movement.
What You Might See After an Update
When the IRS updates your transcript, you might notice:
- New transaction codes (e.g., 846 = refund issued)
- Cycle code changes showing the IRS processing date
- As of date shifting forward, indicating account activity
- Refund or adjustment updates in your “Account Transcript” section
These are all normal signs of progress — and sometimes appear a day or two before updates on the Where’s My Refund (WMR) tool.
Why IRS Updates Matter
Knowing your update schedule helps you:
- Track refund timing more accurately
- Understand transcript codes and what they mean for your status
- Avoid unnecessary worry if your status hasn’t changed yet — your account may just be in a different update cycle
Quick Tip from Refund Talk
If your transcript updates on Tuesday, you likely have a daily account.
If your updates consistently happen on Friday, you’re probably a weekly account.
Either way, the best time to check your transcript is early morning after 6 AM EST on those key days.
