Andy | Saving to Invest

IRS Tax Topic 152 vs. 151: What These Codes Mean for Your Refund Status and Payment Delays

The IRS processes tax returns based on a standard set of guidelines and instructions. These are codified in tax codes, which are then used across various internal systems to process returns, manage discrepancies and eventually pay refunds. These codes are simplified to tax topics for individual and business filers to…

Decoding The IRS Tax Transcript For Your Refund Payment Status

One of the most underrated tax documents is your IRS tax transcript. Especially when you are anxiously awaiting the status of your tax refund and the official WMR/IRS2Go refund status tools are not telling you much. But reading your IRS transcript can be a bit tricky with all the codes…

Will Overdue Student Loans Garnish my 2021 IRS Tax Refund in 2022? Delinquent Student Loans Refund Offset Exemption Update

In several recent tax related articles and videos, folks have been asking questions around their delinquent student debt and wondering, as was the case last year, if it is exempt from being offset by the IRS against their tax refund. While over-due student debt is normally subject to federal tax…

2026 IRS Cycle Code Calendar Chart – Using Your Tax Transcript to Get Refund Processing Updates and Direct Deposit Dates

[UPDATED chart for 2026] Every tax season there is a guessing game played by millions of American tax payers on when they will get their refund payment deposited into their bank account. There is the so-called IRS refund schedule, which has estimated dates for when the agency will make refund…

Updated 2026 PATH IRS Refund Payment Release Dates

[Updated PATH Refund Status & Release Dates] Early tax filers who claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) may experience a payment delay or freeze in their refund until early March due to the PATH Act. See below for when returns impacted by the…

CP10 IRS Notice – A Change to Your Estimated Tax Credit Amount & What You Need to Know Versus CP11 and CP12 Letters

The CP-10 notice is a tax form that contains the adjustment of the estimated tax credit amount for that year. The purpose of this notice is to inform taxpayers that there is a miscalculation or their estimated tax credit for the current year may be different from what was originally…

I Finally Got My Tax Refund in My Bank Account – But Millions Still Waiting For IRS to Process 2021 Returns and 2022 Refunds

Tax season 2022 is well underway and despite widely reported IRS backlogs and delays, some people say they’ve already received their refunds from the IRS. The average tax refund to date is just over $2200 for the current tax season. However this is still the minority and many news outlets…

Why Is My Tax Refund Still Processing in 2025

Seeing a lot of comments from filers this year saying that not only have then not gotten their refund payments but are still waiting for their tax refund for returns filed last year! Why the Ongoing Delay in Processing Returns and Paying Refunds? The main reason for this is that…

how long does it take to get your Delayed tax refund direct deposit?

Many tax filers are now seeing messages on their IRS2Go and WMR app that confirm their tax returns are going to take longer than normal to process. Tax Topic 152, which just alludes to ongoing and potential processing delays, has not provided much help. So some are turning to their…

Tax Refund Advance Loans in 2025: How Much Can I Get and Why Your Refund Amount May Be Lower Than Expected

Be it the need to get your refund payment early for an impending obligation or to get ahead of delays in IRS refund payments, many tax filers are opting to get paid early via a refund loan. However, before you opt-in for a tax refund advance, refund anticipation or holiday…

Why You May owe taxes This Year or Get A Much Smaller IRS Tax Refund

Over the last few years, thanks to plenty of pandemic related support via stimulus payments and funding for expanded tax credits, the average refund payment ballooned to over $3,100. This is despite 20 million fewer Americans getting refunds. However with no further federal funding approved, several popular stimulus, family and dependent tax…

Where is My New Jersey (NJ) State Tax Refund? 2023 Refund Status, Payment Delays and Getting a Live Agent

With the latest tax season upon us it is worth reviewing some of the key tax changes for New Jersey residents and tax filers. As a relatively high taxing state with higher than average incomes it is no surprise that taxes are a hot button topic in New Jersey. The…

2023 California (CA) Refund Status and Middle Class Tax Refund – Latest Updates and News on Payments

With the latest tax season upon us it is worth reviewing some of the key tax changes for Californian residents and tax filers. As the most populous state in the union with high average incomes it is no surprise that Californian residents pay more taxes than those of any other…

Saving $100 with Free Rapid at Home COVID-19 Tests

A few weeks ago several members of my extended family posted on our family chat group that they were exhibiting COVID like symptoms. Given we just had met many of these family members at Thanksgiving I was alarmed when I read the message and like many in that group rushed…