Key Takeaways
- Code 150 shows your total tax liability for the year - $0 means you owe nothing beyond what's already been withheld or credited.
- Code 806 shows your federal withholding; a negative number here is money coming back to you as part of your refund.
- Code 846 (Refund Issued) is the line that confirms your actual refund date - this is the one code that matters most if you're just trying to find out when you'll be paid.
- Codes 570 and 898 relate to holds and offsets that can reduce or delay your refund; code 971 usually means the IRS mailed you a notice explaining what's going on.
- Not every transcript line is refund-relevant - some are purely internal IRS processing markers, and learning to tell the difference saves a lot of unnecessary worry.
Your IRS tax transcript is one of the most useful documents you can pull when you’re waiting on a refund — especially once Where’s My Refund (WMR) and IRS2Go stop giving you anything beyond a generic status bar. The catch is that transcripts are dense: rows of three-digit codes, dollar amounts, and dates that don’t mean much without context.
This is a line-by-line guide to the codes that show up most often, using two real (anonymized) transcript examples so you can match what you’re seeing to what it actually means. For how the IRS’s “processing date” differs from your actual refund date, see my companion post on processing date vs. code 846.
Example 1: A Standard Refund Transcript
In a typical transcript, you’ll see a handful of core codes stacked near the top of your account activity. Here’s what each one means:
- Code 150 (Tax Return Filed) — this is your total tax liability based on the return you filed. If it shows $0, you have no additional tax liability beyond your withholding and credits.
- Code 806 (W-2 or 1099 Withholding) — this is your federal withholding from paychecks or other income. It shows as a negative number because it’s money already paid in on your behalf.
- Codes 766 and 768 (Credits) — these represent refundable credits like the Additional Child Tax Credit or Earned Income Tax Credit, also shown as negative numbers since they add to your refund.
To find your refund amount: add up the negative (credit/withholding) lines, then subtract your code 150 liability. Once code 846 (Refund Issued) appears, that’s your confirmation — the amount and date next to it are what’s actually being paid, and your WMR/IRS2Go status will move to “Refund Sent” around the same time.
Example 2: Understanding the Processing Date
A second common point of confusion is the “processing date” listed on the transcript, separate from any of the numbered transaction codes. This date ties back to your IRS cycle code and represents the next date the IRS expects to take some action on your account — not necessarily your refund date.
If the IRS finishes processing your return by that date, it may line up with your refund date. But that’s not guaranteed, and I cover the full distinction — plus what today’s PATH Act refund pattern looks like — in my processing date vs. refund date guide.
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What About Codes 570, 898, and 971?
These three codes come up constantly in reader questions, usually from people whose refund seems stuck:
- Code 570 (Additional Account Action Pending) — a hold on your account, often triggered by a mismatch in reported income, a credit under review, or an identity-verification flag.
- Code 898 (Refund Applied to Non-IRS Debt) — your refund (or part of it) was redirected through the Treasury Offset Program to cover a past-due debt, such as defaulted student loans, back child support, or a state tax debt.
- Code 971 (Notice Issued) — the IRS mailed you a letter, usually explaining what’s happening with codes like 570 or requesting additional information.
Seeing 570 and 971 together generally means the IRS is reviewing something specific and will follow up by mail. It’s not a denial — it’s a pause while the IRS resolves whatever triggered the hold.
Common Issues to Watch Out For
- Assuming every code is refund-related. Many transcript lines are internal IRS bookkeeping and don’t affect your refund at all — 846, 570, 898, and 971 are the ones that actually matter for refund status.
- Misreading negative numbers as bad news. On a transcript, negative amounts next to withholding and credit codes are good — they’re money coming back to you.
- Expecting an exact refund date before 846 posts. Nothing before code 846 is a confirmed refund date, no matter how complete your transcript looks otherwise.
- Not checking for a 971 notice when 570 appears. The notice usually explains exactly what the IRS needs, which can save you a call to the IRS.
- Confusing your transcript’s cycle code with your refund date. The cycle code tells you your update schedule (daily or weekly), not when you’ll be paid.
Looking Ahead: 2027 Filing Season
These transcript codes are stable year to year — the IRS doesn’t typically change its core transaction code system, so this guide should hold up for the 2027 filing season and beyond. What does change annually is the PATH Act’s specific hold and release dates, which I update each year once the IRS confirms them.
Related reading:
- Processing Date vs. Refund Date on Your IRS Transcript
- 2026 PATH Refund Status & IRS Release Dates Confirmed
- 2026–2027 IRS Tax Refund Schedule and Direct Deposit Payment Calendar
- Will Ordering an IRS Tax Transcript Help Me Find Out When I’ll Get My Refund?
If the purple amounts add up to your refund, why is that not reflected in “refund issued”???
This must be apart of the agenda, I find it very funny how we the people get punished for paying bills late. But theses big corporations can have all the excuses of why they are late on returning people money. But will take there money from you if you owe them. This corporation and the government know what they doing. Sending money to others countries while you’re people suffering.
The IRS knows how busy it is around tax time. I wonder what you are really trying to hide. While keeping us upset and destructed bout taxes and wars. I filed Feb 12 and it’s March 19 and nothing change or updated. No notice or explaining anything on there part. It’s as if they received it and put it to side. My taxes has not been touched at all just sitting there chilling. Well I’m facing eviction, water shut, off light due. I should have received my money March 4. No one answer the phone. But y’all have them so call advocate.
But y’all watching out for fraud and theft. Tell us to contact IRS after 21days. Now I have to find some one outside of the IRS to help me with IRS problem the government can’t get an handle of. Cause they to busy worried about people who don’t stay in the US. For everyone that has been waiting need interest added to there funds. And how are y’all still behind on people taxes from 2019 and 2020. So the rest of year I guess you could not finish the people taxes .Who y’all want to work ,so the government can continue to profit from us working there corporate jobs. Shame on the people that are so called running this US. Very disturbing and disappointed.
My refund deposited may 9th but still nothing on my bank direct deposited 0.
I filed March and verified on 19th of April no updates on anything I word hard to get slayed by uncle Sam this is out of control.Im currently waiting still to this day now this month almost over I lost my pops last week and losing my moms but she reside in Atlanta I was hoping I had my income taxes so I can go see her and say my good byes I quess hopefully something change by the 1st because that’s my moms bday hopefully lord willing
That was spot on!!! I hope you received yours, Because I’m STILL waiting for mine. :(
It is not the fault of the IRS itself. They are running as hard as possible, but they’ve had their budget (which means fewer people) consistently. Particularly by republican legislatures. I am not a democrat, so don’t take that wrong. But you are blaming a group of people that don’t deserve it.
U aren’t lien it’s 8/30/2023 and I am currently still waiting for my taxes from year 2019. This is fcking ridiculous!! Tax advocate does not even help at all it’s been 3 months since I got one assigned to me and still no refund she said 4-6 weeks. The government is a damn joke! Quick to take but take years and years to pay!!!!
Can’t tell them NOTHING!! We basically give the government a loan and they pay back after a year or whenever the hell they want too. I’m sooo Fed Upp!
This isn’t even a democracy anymore, he’s replacing elected officials with his moronic billionaire puppets, and because of that congress is more afraid of the president than they are of loosing votes.
In short, the government is just a body of fumbling idiots, competing for Trumps affections, not working for ” we the people” anymore and the Treasury Dept. Is his to do what the hell he comes up with …perhaps the late returns are paying for the “Gaza Strip and the beautiful buildings”
The IRS is just holding my refund? I call the IRS advocate office and told them I filed my taxes 2/4/2022 and don’t have a refund yet. I explained that they waited for the third week to tell me it was a delay and want to know where my refund it. The advocate told me that there were some errors concerning the child tax credit but there is nothing that I need to do on my end. The advocate put me on hold then came back to the phone letting me know that all errors have been fixed since 3/3/2022 today is 3/14/2022 and I still don’t have my refund. It’s sad because you can’t contact the IRS and they do what they feel and move how they want to move and think that they don’t owe you an explanation until they are ready to do so. It’s funny how the IRS can contact us but we are unable to contact the IRS. If my taxes was filed 2/4/2022 and all errors were fixed by the IRS on 3/3/2022 and there is nothing else to be done to my taxes, then where is my refund. That’s one answer the IRS will not give
Did you receive it what’s advocate you called
I f found my taxes January 11th and still have not gotten my refund everybody else they did their taxes after me gotten their refund and I have not got my refund yet what’s going on I don’t want to know where’s my money it’s still saying processing
They say 3/1/2022 taxpayer will get their money in their accounts but that has yet to happen. I filed my taxes 2/4/2022 and still no refund. Such a shame
Will the credit balance (teal) zero out once the IRS feels everything is completed? Ive recently amended 2019 and 2020, my 2020 is still showing a large credit amount, Im assuming child tax credit as code 766 reflects on the bottom. I received a refund for the 5k reflected as refund issued, then after a notice issued for 16k saying if not received yet will in 2-3 weeks, 11k is the credit amount showing. I guess I’m just confused as to why they sent part of it? Or if I’m missing something
I havent filed 2021 yet because my 2019 messed up my CTC. I had to mail in 2019 due to filing status change. It was such a mess I had to get the help of a 3rd party to fix it. They havent received the amended 2019 yet from what I can tell, but did receive 2020 amendment
wear is my refund at what is going gone with my refund so can yall respond back me let me no what going gone about my refund
So what does it mean if the purple figures still show eith a negative mark after refund has already been issued??
Can you help with code 971 and 570 with future dates?
See this article (future dates been IRS is processing and those are estimated completion dates): https://savingtoinvest.com/what-is-tax-code-tc-570-on-my-irs-transcript-and-will-it-delay-my-refund-account-freeze-or-additional-account-actions-pending/