What does code 846 mean on a tax transcript?

Code 846 means your refund has been issued. The date printed next to it is the actual date the IRS sent the money, not a projection. Direct deposits typically land within a few business days of that date, and paper checks take longer to arrive by mail.

How do I get my IRS tax transcript?

The fastest route is Get Transcript Online through your IRS Individual Online Account, which gives immediate access after identity verification. You can also request delivery by mail through the same tool, or file Form 4506-T. Online access is the only method that returns the transcript the same day.

What is the difference between a tax return transcript and a tax account transcript?

A tax return transcript shows the line items from your return as originally filed and never reflects later changes. A tax account transcript shows the account activity, including adjustments, penalties, payments, and the transaction codes. Lenders usually want the return transcript; anyone diagnosing a refund delay wants the account transcript.

How do I read the cycle code on my transcript?

The cycle code is an eight digit string. The first four digits are the year, the next two are the processing week, and the last two identify the day within that week. Codes ending in 05 generally indicate a weekly account, which updates once per week, while lower ending digits indicate a daily account.

Can I use a tax transcript instead of a copy of my tax return?

For most purposes, yes. Mortgage lenders, student aid applications, and immigration filings routinely accept a tax return transcript, and it is free while an actual copy of a filed return carries a fee and a long wait. A transcript will not include the attachments and schedules exactly as you submitted them.

IRS Form Guide

IRS Tax Transcripts

The document that tells you what the IRS actually knows about you, and the transaction codes that explain why your refund has not moved.

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01The Five Transcript Types 02How to Get One Today 03Decode Any Transaction Code 04Reading the Cycle Code 05What a Transcript Reveals That Your Return Does Not 06Frequently Asked Questions

IRS Form Guides>Tax Transcripts

Written by Bryan Martin, CPA, Managing Partner and Founder of Taxstra. Last updated August 15, 2026.

Quick answer

An IRS tax transcript is a summary of your account or return that you can pull free through your IRS Online Account. There are five types. The tax account transcript carries the transaction codes, where code 846 means your refund was issued and code 570 means it is on hold.

A tax transcript is the closest thing to seeing your own IRS file. It shows what was reported about you, what the IRS assessed, what was paid, what is frozen, and what notice went out last week. It is free, and for most people it is available the same day.

It is also written in transaction codes, which is why most people who pull one end up more confused than before. The decoder below fixes that.

The Five Transcript Types

Requesting the wrong one is the most common wasted trip.

Type	Shows	Use it when
Tax return transcript	Line items exactly as originally filed, with no later changes	A lender, school, or agency asks for proof of what you filed
Tax account transcript	Account activity, adjustments, payments, penalties, transaction codes	You are diagnosing a delayed refund or a balance you do not recognize
Record of account transcript	Both of the above combined	You want the complete picture for one year in a single document
Wage and income transcript	Every W-2, 1099, 1098, and 5498 filed about you by third parties	You are reconstructing records for unfiled years or lost documents
Verification of non-filing letter	Confirmation that no return was filed for a year	Financial aid or an agency requires proof you were not required to file

The one most people should pull

If your question is "where is my refund" or "why do I owe this," you want the tax account transcript. The return transcript will not show you a single thing that happened after you filed, which is exactly the period you are asking about.

How to Get One Today

Three routes, only one of which is fast.

Get Transcript Online, same day

Sign in to your IRS Individual Online Account and complete identity verification. You get an immediate PDF for every available year and type. This is the only same-day option.

Get Transcript by Mail, roughly five to ten calendar days

Requested through the same tool without full identity verification. It mails to your address of record only, which is a problem if you have moved.

Form 4506-T, several weeks

The paper route, and the one your CPA uses to pull transcripts on your behalf under a signed authorization. Slow, but it works when online verification fails.

Taxstra CPA Tip

Taxstra Tip

Wage and income transcripts for the most recent tax year are not complete until well after the filing season, because employers and brokers file on their own schedule. If you are reconstructing a recent year, pull it late in the year rather than in February, or you will build a return on partial data.

Decode Any Transaction Code

Search the codes that appear on a tax account transcript.

Transcript transaction code decoder

27 of 27 codes shown

Code	Meaning	Signal
150	Return filed and tax liability assessed Your return posted to the IRS master file. The date next to it is the official processing date, not the date you filed.	Normal
806	Credit for withheld taxes and excess FICA The total W-2 and 1099 withholding credited to your account. Shown as a negative number because it is a credit.	Normal
766	Credit to your account A refundable credit posting, such as the additional child tax credit or a premium tax credit adjustment.	Normal
768	Earned income credit The earned income credit posting to your account.	Normal
846	Refund issued The one people are looking for. The date beside code 846 is the date the refund was actually sent, not an estimate.	Good news
826	Credit transferred out to prior year tax Part or all of your refund was applied to a balance owed on another year. Expect a smaller refund than you calculated.	Attention
570	Additional account action pending A freeze on your refund while the IRS reviews something. Common causes are income mismatches, identity verification, and credit checks. Often resolves on its own.	Hold
571	Resolved additional account action The 570 hold has been lifted. A refund code usually follows within one or two cycles.	Good news
572	Reversal of 570 action Another way the hold gets released.	Good news
971	Notice issued A letter is on its way. The code alone does not say which notice, so read the accompanying date and watch the mail.	Attention
977	Amended return filed Your Form 1040-X posted. Amended returns process on a separate and much slower track than originals.	Normal
290	Additional tax assessed The IRS increased your liability. A zero-dollar 290 is routine and often just closes out a review with no change.	Attention
291	Abatement of prior tax assessed A previously assessed amount was reduced or removed.	Good news
420	Examination of tax return Your return was referred for examination. This is the audit indicator, and it is the point to involve a CPA.	Serious
424	Examination request indicator The return was selected for possible examination. It may still be surveyed out without an audit.	Attention
922	Review of unreported income The automated underreporter program found a mismatch between your return and a third-party form. A CP2000 notice usually follows.	Attention
810	Refund freeze A hard freeze, more restrictive than a 570. Frequently tied to identity verification or a questionable credit claim.	Serious
811	Refund freeze released The 810 freeze has been lifted.	Good news
460	Extension of time to file Your extension request posted successfully.	Normal
480	Offer in compromise pending An offer in compromise has been received and is under consideration.	Normal
520	Bankruptcy or litigation freeze Collection activity is suspended because of a bankruptcy filing or pending litigation.	Attention
530	Currently not collectible The IRS has determined it cannot currently collect. The debt does not go away and interest continues.	Attention
582	Lien indicator A federal tax lien has been filed against you.	Serious
494	Notice of deficiency The statutory notice that starts the clock on your right to petition the Tax Court. The deadline is strict.	Serious
196	Interest assessed Interest charged on an underpayment.	Attention
276	Failure to pay tax penalty The penalty for paying late, which accrues separately from the failure to file penalty.	Attention
166	Penalty for filing tax return after the due date The failure to file penalty, which is generally far larger per month than the failure to pay penalty.	Attention

Watch Out

Codes that mean stop reading forums and call a CPA

420 and 424 signal examination. 810 is a hard refund freeze. 494 is a notice of deficiency with a strict petition deadline. 582 means a lien has been filed. None of these resolve by waiting, and several have deadlines that expire quietly.

Reading the Cycle Code

Eight digits that tell you when your account updates.

Near the top of a tax account transcript is an eight digit cycle code. It tells you which processing cycle your account belongs to, which in turn tells you when new information is likely to appear.

Breaking down a cycle code

2026 05 04

First four digitsProcessing year

Next two digitsWeek of the processing year

Last two digitsDay within that processing week

Accounts ending in a lower day number generally update daily, while those ending in 05 are typically weekly accounts that refresh once per cycle. This is why two people who filed the same day can see their transcripts move on different schedules with nothing actually wrong.

What a Transcript Reveals That Your Return Does Not

Four things worth checking even when nothing is wrong.

Income you did not know was reported

A wage and income transcript lists every form filed under your Social Security number, including old brokerage accounts and side income you forgot about.

Whether the IRS filed a return on your behalf

A code 150 for a year you never filed generally means a substitute for return, which is prepared with no deductions and usually overstates the tax owed.

When the collection clock actually started

The assessment date on the transcript, not the filing date, starts the collection statute. On older balances this can be the single most important number on the page.

Notices you never received

Code 971 entries show letters that were issued. If you moved and never got them, the transcript is how you find out what you missed.

For anyone with unfiled years, this is the starting document: pull wage and income transcripts, then work through the catch-up filing sequence or, for longer gaps, the ten-year version. If the transcript shows assessments for years you never filed, read what a substitute for return is before paying anything, check the assessment dates against the collection statute, and if a CP59 notice prompted this, that page explains what the IRS is actually asking for.

Transcript Showing Codes You Do Not Like?

Codes 420, 810, 494, and 582 all mean something has escalated beyond a normal filing. A Taxstra CPA can read the full account and tell you where you stand. The initial consultation is free.

Frequently Asked Questions

Code 570 is a hold placed on your account while the IRS reviews something before releasing your refund. Common triggers include a wage mismatch against employer filings, identity verification, and refundable credit checks. Many 570 holds resolve without any action from you, and a code 571 or 572 releases them.

Unfiled Years Are Solvable, and the Transcript Is Where It Starts

Wage and income transcripts let us rebuild years of missing records and file accurately, often for less tax than the IRS assessed on its own. Book a free initial consultation.

Next Steps

Filing it yourself is fine. Optimizing it is where the money is.

Getting the form right keeps you out of trouble. The strategies below are what actually lower the bill.

Want a CPA to run the numbers for you?

Free 30-minute call with a Taxstra CPA. No pressure, just the math for your situation.

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Authoritative Sources

Citations reflect U.S. federal tax law as of the article's last reviewed date.

Related IRS Account and Compliance Guides

Have Not Filed in 5 Years

The practical sequence for getting current without triggering the worst outcomes.

IRS Substitute for Return

What happens when the IRS files for you, and why replacing it usually lowers the bill.

The Collection Statute

How long the IRS actually has, and what pauses the clock.

Notice CP59

The notice that says the IRS has no record of your return.