IRS transaction code 150: Return filed and tax liability assessed

What the IRS calls TC 150

Document 6209, Section 8A lists TC 150 as Return filed and tax liability assessed (Debit in the Document 6209 DR/CR column). The remarks column says:

“A tax liability assessed from the original return establishes a tax module.”

Source: IRS Document 6209, Section 8A, Master File Codes (Rev. 3/2018), entry for transaction code 150.

In plain language

TC 150 is the line that records the return itself. Document 6209 lists it as a debit for most return types (the doc notes the assessment is a credit for a few business forms such as Forms CT-1, 720 and 941), and says to see TC 976 and 977 for an amended return.

It records the tax assessed, not whether you are owed money. The Taxpayer Advocate Service describes the line as the date of filing and the amount of tax shown on the return when filed, or as corrected by the IRS when processed. A refund is a separate line, TC 846.

What the date next to it means

The Taxpayer Advocate Service describes the TC 150 line as showing the date of filing. Document 6209 does not define the date field, so treat it as the line’s transaction date and not as the date any refund is issued. The Taxpayer Advocate Service explains the general rule: a transaction date is the effective date of a transaction on a tax account, and the cycle date represents the date the IRS processed it. Sometimes the two coincide and sometimes they do not. See the transcript date guide and the cycle code decoder.

What the IRS publishes about what comes next

• Document 6209 says a return posting with a particular computer condition code (CCC 3 for individual accounts) is one way a TC 570 hold is generated, and lists a TC 150 posting among the events that release a 570 freeze.
• Document 6209 says to see TC 976 and 977 for an amended return. It does not say what line follows a TC 150 on a refund transcript.

This page gives no timing. The IRS documents we read state no timeline for what follows TC 150.

Related codes

• TC 570 (additional liability pending and/or credit hold): credit hold that a return can generate.
• TC 977 (posted amended return): amended return.
• TC 976 (posted duplicate return): duplicate return.
• TC 290 (additional tax assessment): later adjustment to a period that has a TC 150.
• TC 806 (credit for withheld taxes and excess fica): withholding credit.

Who this is for

Filers, family members and preparers reading an IRS account transcript who want the published definition of a single line before looking at the rest.

What this page does not cover

• Why TC 150 is on your account, what it means for your situation, or what to do about it.
• When a refund will arrive. Use the IRS refund tracker or your online account.
• Anything beyond the Rev. 3/2018 Section 8A entry and the Taxpayer Advocate Service explanations cited below.
• Tax or legal advice. Use your IRS online account or contact the IRS or a qualified tax professional for your case.