1) If your return gets diverted to a department for errors/corrections, the department that shows return status at IRS.GOV will show the return as not filed and any transcript will also show the return as not filed As usual until the return is processed it will not show up on the transcript site ... this is SOP.
2) The errors/corrections department says their timeframe is 10 weeks, but in my case they did not receive the return until a month after I electronically filed which is when they start the 10 week clock. Normal times it is 10 weeks however we are not in normal times. The IRS computer may send out a "60 day notice" saying the return will need more time to process.
3) If they miss the 10 weeks, these days they will just say they are working through a historic backlog. Due to all the last minute changes and the fact they cannot hire and train staff fast enough there is a "historic backlog" so if you want to complain do so to your local congress person since congress are the ones making last minute tax law changes in the middle of a filing season of which some are retroactive AND they have reduced the IRS budget every year for more than a decade so they are doing less with less.
4) MOST INTERESTING - whether or not you have a refund coming, you can check status using the IRS "Where is my refund" function on the website or app (for no refund enter $1 as the refund amount) and it will at least confirm the IRS has your return and is working on it without having to go through the time suck of calling the IRS. This won't tell you and ETA, but based on the previous point there is no useful ETA so nothing lost, and at least you have the peace of mind to know the IRS has your return. Never heard of this before but it is a nice trick to know. If the TT site says the return was accepted for processing then they do have it even if the WMR? tool doesn't acknowledge it.
Errors/corrections could be anything, a discrepancy between your return and the W2/1099/etc the IRS has directly, a calculation error, etc. If they eventually find an issue you will get a letter indicating the correction and next actions if any, if not then your return will just finally show as processed and then you can get a transcript. The errors and corrections department is the "catch all" department where returns needing human attention go and they normally handle a couple million returns all year but they had more than 40 million returns dumped on them all at once which of course they were ill prepared to handle ... again yell at congress for their poor timing of all these changes. Staffing has been an issue this year due to the extended unemployment benefits where people find they make more by staying home. Even if they could hire more help you cannot just "train them for a day on how to work the grill" like at McDonalds ... training at the IRS takes weeks.
End result is everything needed a human to look at it is taking much much longer then in a normal tax year and thus patience will be needed by all parties again this year.
