The IRS has issued your refund; the date is when it is scheduled to go out. Here is what it means, what usually happens next, and what to do.
On your account transcript it reads: 846 Refund issued Normal / good news
TC 846 is the line people wait for: the IRS has issued your refund. The amount is what is being sent, and the date is the date the refund is scheduled to go out — by direct deposit that is usually when it reaches the bank or within a few business days; by paper check, add mailing time.
Also written as: IRS code 846, code 846 on transcript, 846 IRS code, transaction code 846.
If the 846 amount is smaller than you expected, look on the same transcript for TC 898 (part went to a non-IRS debt such as child support or a federal student loan), TC 826 (part went to another IRS balance), or an earlier 807 or 767 reversal. A later TC 740 means a paper check came back undelivered; a TC 841 means a check was cancelled and credited back.
| On the same transcript | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| 846 after 150 and 806 with nothing else | Clean refund, full amount. |
| 846 + 898 | Refund reduced by a Treasury offset to a non-IRS debt — the Bureau of the Fiscal Service sends a separate notice. |
| 846 + 826 | Part of the overpayment paid another IRS year you owe; a CP49 explains. |
| 846 + 776 | Refund issued with interest added — the interest is taxable next year. |
If it is short, the explanation is almost always on the same transcript: 898, 826, 807 or 767.
Direct-deposit refunds typically land on or within a few days of the 846 date.
Wait until 5 days after the date for a deposit (about 4 weeks for a mailed check), then ask the IRS for a refund trace (Form 3911).
Paste it into the free decoder — every code explained, open holds flagged, refund and offsets summarized. Runs in your browser; nothing is sent anywhere.
Decode my transcript →Direct deposit usually arrives on the 846 date or within about five business days. Paper checks take longer to arrive by mail.
Look for 898 (Treasury offset to a non-IRS debt), 826 (applied to another IRS balance), or reversals like 807 and 767. Each explains a specific reduction.
On your IRS account transcript for the tax year — in your IRS Online Account under tax records, or by mail using Form 4506-T. The transactions section lists each code with its description, date and amount. Return transcripts do not show transaction codes.
Yes. IRS code 846, code 846 on transcript, transaction code 846 and TC 846 all refer to the same three-digit transaction code the IRS posts to your account.