IRS Cycle Code and What Posting Cycles Date Mean

UPDATED for 2024

What is an IRS cycle code and what do they mean?

A cycle code is an 8 digit number that can be found on an IRS Account Transcript. The cycle code indicates when your tax return posted to the IRS Master File.

Where is my Cycle Code?

Your cycle code can be found on your “Account Transcript”.

What does a Cycle Code mean?

It indicates when your account posts to the master file. It is NOT a calendar date, but can be translated to a date (see below).

How do I translate my Cycle Code?

Use the IRS cycle posting chart or the calendar below.

Why do I need my cycle code?

You really don’t. But, you can use the last 2 digits of your cycle code to see if your account is Weekly or Daily.

What is “Weekly” or “Daily”?

Your IRS Account is identified as either being updated weekly or daily.  Cycle codes ending in 01, 02, 03, 04 are daily accounts.  Cycle codes ending in 05 are weekly accounts, but in some cases, they may be daily.

Why does daily or weekly matter?

It doesn’t really. However, people use it to check what day they should expect updates on Transcripts or WMR.

How do I know if I am a Weekly or Daily?

Look at the last 2 digits of your Cycle Code?  If it ends in 01, 02, 03, 04 transactions post to our IMF account daily except weekends.  If it ends in 05, you probably have an account that updates weekly. Some, but few, that end in 05 could be daily. For weekly accounts, transactions are posted to the IMF account only once weekly.

By using the table below, you can translate your IRS cycle code into a calendar date that tells you when your tax return posted to the IRS master file. The IRS cycle code can be found on your account transcript displayed as an eight digit sequence of numbers such as 20240405

The first four numbers are the year, the second two numbers are the cycle week and the last two numbers correspond with the cycle day.

Cycle Code Ending in 01= Friday
Cycle Code Ending in 02= Monday
Cycle Code Ending in 03= Tuesday
Cycle Code Ending in 04= Wednesday
Cycle Code Ending in 05= Thursday

Example 20240405

The first four digits 2024 are the year. The second two digits 04 are the cycle week. The last two digits 05 are the cycle day. This translates to Thursday, January 25, 2024

Go to IRS Cycle Codes Explained for the easiest detailed explanation to help you determine what your cycle code can tell you about your tax return and tax refund update cycle. To view your online transcripts go to IRS.gov Get Transcript

2024 Posting Cycles

wdt_ID Cycle Code DAY DATE
1 20240102 Monday, January 1, 2024 01/01/2024
2 20240103 Tuesday, January 2, 2024 01/02/2024
3 20240104 Wednesday, January 3, 2024 01/03/2024
4 20240105 Thursday, January 4, 2024 01/04/2024
5 20240201 Friday, January 5, 2024 01/05/2024
6 20240202 Monday, January 8, 2024 01/08/2024
7 20240203 Tuesday, January 9, 2024 01/09/2024
8 20240204 Wednesday, January 10, 2024 01/10/2024
9 20240205 Thursday, January 11, 2024 01/11/2024
10 20240301 Friday, January 12, 2024 01/12/2024
11 20240302 Monday, January 15, 2024 01/15/2024
12 20240302 Tuesday, January 16, 2024 01/16/2024
13 20240304 Wednesday, January 17, 2024 01/17/2024
14 20240305 Thursday, January 18, 2024 01/18/2024
15 20240401 Friday, January 19, 2024 01/19/2024
16 20240402 Monday, January 22, 2024 01/22/2024
17 20240402 Tuesday, January 23, 2024 01/23/2024
18 20240404 Wednesday, January 24, 2024 01/24/2024
19 20240405 Thursday, January 25, 2024 01/25/2024
20 20240501 Friday, January 26, 2024 01/26/2024
21 20240502 Monday, January 29, 2024 01/27/2024
22 20240503 Tuesday, January 30, 2024 01/28/2024
23 20240504 Wednesday, January 31, 2024 01/29/2024
24 20240505 Thursday, February 1, 2024 02/01/2024
25 20240601 Friday, February 2, 2024 02/02/2024
26 20240602 Monday, February 5, 2024 02/05/2024
27 20240603 Tuesday, February 6, 2024 02/06/2024
28 20240604 Wednesday, February 7, 2024 02/07/2024
29 20240605 Thursday, February 8, 2024 02/08/2024
30 20240701 Friday, February 9, 2024 02/09/2024
31 20240702 Monday, February 12, 2024 02/12/2024
32 20240703 Tuesday, February 13, 2024 02/13/2024
33 20240704 Wednesday, February 14, 2024 02/14/2024
34 20240705 Thursday, February 15, 2024 02/15/2024
35 20240801 Friday, February 16, 2024 02/16/2024
36 20240802 Monday, February 19, 2024 02/19/2024
37 20240803 Tuesday, February 20, 2024 02/20/2024
38 20240804 Wednesday, February 21, 2024 02/21/2024
39 20240805 Thursday, February 22, 2024 02/22/2024
40 20240901 Friday, February 23, 2024 02/23/2024
41 20240902 Monday, February 26, 2024 02/26/2024
42 20240903 Tuesday, February 27, 2024 02/27/2024
43 20240904 Wednesday, February 28, 2024 02/28/2024
44 20240905 Thursday, February 29, 2024 02/29/2024
45 20241001 Friday, March 1, 2024 03/01/2024
46 20241002 Monday, March 4, 2024 03/04/2024
47 20241003 Tuesday, March 5, 2024 03/05/2024
48 20241004 Wednesday, March 6, 2024 03/06/2024
49 20241005 Thursday, March 7, 2024 03/07/2024
50 20241101 Friday, March 8, 2024 03/08/2024
IRS 2018 Cycle Code

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Below are more resources to help tell you when to expect your tax refund.

What Others Are Saying

  1. B

    My 2021 refund has a code 20221205 what does that mean


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  2. MAB

    @MAB: (Clarifying my whine – so that doesn’t help me out guessing what this year’s code will be before my transcript pops up)


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  3. MAB

    Just whining that my cycle code has been different each of the last 4 years despite nothing changing at all for me – same employer, address, name, bank account. Ugh.


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