Key Takeaways
- Code 846 means your federal refund is approved and issued - check the date next to it, since it can appear more than once across tax years.
- The 846 date is generally when the IRS releases payment; direct deposits often land 1-2 days before or after it, paper checks up to a week later.
- Codes 898 (non-IRS debt offset) and 826 (IRS debt offset) explain why your 846 amount might be lower than expected.
- If your direct deposit bounces, you'll see 846 followed by TC 841 - a paper check follows 4 to 6 weeks later.
- Code 846 only covers your federal refund; state refunds run on a separate timeline.
- Returns flagged for OBBBA-deduction or 1099-DA verification this season may take longer to reach the 846 stage than a standard return.
Transaction codes are used on IRS tax transcripts and WMR/IRS2Go to show current and historical information on your return processing, reasons for delays, when a refund will be paid, or why it was lower than expected.
There are dozens of codes, but Code 846, Refund Issued, is the one you generally WANT to see on your account tax transcript after your return has been through IRS system processing.
It means the IRS is sending you the overpayment of your taxes — your refund — including any interest owed. Seeing this code confirms your refund is approved and getting paid.
You’ll likely see several other transaction codes and dates before 846 shows up. I’ll walk through some of these below.
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IRS Code 846: Does It Mean Your Refund Is Depositing Soon?
The TC 846 code appears on your transcript once the IRS has processed your return and confirmed you’re eligible for a refund. You’ll see this as the Refund Sent status on WMR or IRS2Go.
Just check your net refund total at the top of your transcript or the figure shown in WMR/IRS2Go rather than trying to reconcile individual line items yourself.
Transcript Codes 898 and 899 – Refund Applied to Non-IRS Debt
You may see TC 570 (adjustment), TC 898 (BFS offset/non-IRS debt), or 971 (notice issued) before or after your 846 code, reflecting additional adjustments the IRS made before issuing your refund.
TC 898 means part of your refund was applied to non-IRS debt (another state or federal agency). If followed by TC 899, that’s a reversal of some or all of that amount, paid back to you as part of your refund.
Code 846 Date – Check the Correct Tax Year
The 846 code can appear multiple times on your transcript, reflecting refunds issued across current and prior tax years. Always check the year on the 846 line to make sure it matches the current tax season — if you don’t see it for the current year, your return is likely still processing.
Is the Code 846 Date My Refund Direct Deposit Date?
Generally, the 846 date is when the IRS issues the refund payment or paper check. It can land 1 to 2 days before or after that date via direct deposit (WMR status = Refund Sent). Paper checks can take up to a week longer to arrive.
Code 846 with a Future Date
You’ll often see a future date on your 846 line, especially if you filed early and are checking your transcript regularly. This date corresponds to your refund cycle code — it’s the expected disbursement date, and your money should hit on or before it.
Rejected or Reduced Refund Payments (TC 841 and 826)
If your banking information is incorrect or your electronic payment is rejected, you’ll still see code 846 followed by TC 841, a reversal of the refund-issued code. A paper check gets mailed to your address on file 4 to 6 weeks after the IRS is notified of the bounced payment.
If you see code 826 on your transcript, part of your refund was taken to pay off an existing or old IRS tax debt.
When Will I See a 846 Date After Filing?
The IRS generally processes 90% of refunds within 21 days, which is when you should also expect to see code 846. Returns that need special or manual handling — including the OBBBA and 1099-DA verification holds more filers are seeing this season — can take longer.
Why Is My Refund (TC 846) Different From My Filing Amount (TC 150)?
Your final refund amount, shown against code 846, is calculated from your original filing (TC 150) plus withholding (TC 806) and credits (766, 768), less any adjustments or offsets. The date on the 846 line is the actual date the refund was issued by the IRS — not the 4/15 default date shown on some other transcript lines, which is just a system placeholder.
Does Code 846 Affect My State Tax Refund?
No — code 846 only reflects your federal refund. State refunds follow separate timelines and processes, generally paying out faster than the federal refund.
Note that if the IRS needs further information or verification, you might see additional notices even after code 846 appears — this can happen due to a later audit or a rejected payment.
My 846 code shows a date of 2-24-2024, and that means the irs releases the funds on their end and I should see it within a couple of days? I have read articles saying March 3rd is the first date that people will see returns in their account because of the PATH act, is that correct?
Correct. Refund payments should hit +/- 2 days of March 3rd, depending on bank or debit card
if my transcript has an 846 code with a date of 02/24/2025 when should i receive my refund?
that’s not true about the dates because I got my federal refund a day after my actual date so them dates shown next to 766 are deposit dates so please stop telling people them are not refund dates because they are that really confuse people.
The 846 date is the official IRS date of record. Can it come earlier and line with other dates (e.g 766 ones). Sure. But from an official perspective the date noted against 846 is the one on record.
No I did not receive it at all so what do I have to do
Hello, from the last paragraph of summary; the date irs issued 2/22/22; did you receive it on that date? Or 1-2 days after?
It could be +/- 2 days of the noted date. Do share when you got yours as a data point.
Hello still a little confused my transcript says 846 refund issued 02-22-2024 so will it be in my bank account on the 22nd or will it be after or before the 22nd?
It will likely be in there before then. 22nd date is when the IRS expects the money to be sent from their end. Generally I have seen it hit bank accounts 1 to 2 days before