IRS Transcripts

Is Code 570 an Audit? What It Really Means in 2025

By Angeline Balsitis, EA · Reviewed by Melissa Ly, Chief Tax Officer · Updated November 6, 2025 · Editorial Standards

What code 570 actually means

If you're asking "is code 570 an audit," you've probably been refreshing your IRS account transcript waiting on a refund. Take a breath. Code 570 is one of the most common transaction codes on a transcript, and it does not mean you're being audited.

On an IRS account transcript, every action gets a three-digit transaction code. Code 570 is labeled "Additional account action pending." In plain English: the IRS put a temporary freeze on your account — usually your refund — while it finishes something. That "something" could be a quick internal check or a review that needs your input. Either way, the refund is paused, not denied.

To see these codes yourself, pull your free transcript from the IRS Get Transcript tool. Not sure how to read what you find? Our guide on how to read an IRS account transcript walks through every line.

Why an audit is different

An audit — the IRS calls it an "examination" — is when the IRS questions specific items on your return: your income, deductions, or credits. It comes with its own letter (often a CP75 or a mailed audit notice), its own deadlines, and a request for documents. An audit also shows different transcript codes, such as code 420 (examination indicator) or 424 (examination request).

Code 570, by contrast, is just a hold. The IRS uses it for dozens of routine reasons that have nothing to do with auditing your deductions. Seeing 570 alone does not mean an examiner is reviewing your return. If you're worried about timing, our guide on how far back the IRS can audit explains how real audits actually start.

Common reasons you got code 570

The hold can be triggered by a handful of routine things. The most common include:

• Income mismatch. The wages or 1099 amounts on your return don't yet match what employers reported to the IRS. The system pauses to reconcile.
• Identity verification. The IRS wants to confirm you really filed the return before releasing money. If so, you may get a 5071C identity verification letter.
• Credit review. Refundable credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit get extra scrutiny by law.
• A pending offset. Part of your refund may be applied to back taxes or another debt.
• A simple processing timing issue. Sometimes a 570 posts just because two actions hit your account in the same cycle and the system holds while it sorts the order.

Code 570, 971, 571, and 846 — how the sequence works

These four codes tell the whole story of your refund. Reading them in order is the fastest way to know where you stand:

1. Code 570 — Additional account action pending. The hold starts. Your refund is frozen while the IRS reviews.
2. Code 971 — Notice issued. A letter was mailed. This often appears next to a 570 and explains why the hold exists. Read the letter — it tells you whether you need to do anything.
3. Code 571 or 572 — Resolved additional account action. The hold is lifted. The review is done.
4. Code 846 — Refund issued. The finish line. This code comes with the date your refund is sent.

Important: a 971 next to a 570 is not always bad news. The notice might simply confirm a change or ask you to verify your identity. The danger is ignoring a letter that asks for a response — that's what turns a two-week hold into a months-long one.

What happens if you ignore it

If your 570 hold is purely internal, ignoring it costs you nothing — it clears on its own. But if the IRS mailed you a letter (the 971 code) asking you to verify your identity or send documents, ignoring it has real consequences:

• Your refund stays frozen indefinitely until you respond.
• An unanswered identity-verification request can lead the IRS to hold the return entirely.
• If the review involves income the IRS thinks you left off, it could later turn into a CP2000 notice proposing more tax — a separate process from your refund hold.

The system is automated and patient. It won't forget your account. The hold simply waits for the IRS — or you — to act.

How to respond, step by step

1. Pull your account transcript. Log in at the IRS Get Transcript tool and find the codes. Note whether you see a 971 next to the 570 and any dates listed.
2. Check "Where's My Refund." The IRS refund tracker sometimes shows a plain-language message about the delay.
3. Watch your mail. A 971 code means a letter is coming. When it arrives, read it carefully — it tells you exactly what, if anything, the IRS needs.
4. Respond by the deadline. If the letter asks you to verify your identity (for example, a 5071C) or confirm income, do it by the date given. This is the single biggest factor in how fast the hold lifts.
5. If 60 days pass with no letter and no movement, call the IRS or open your online account to ask why the hold is still there. If the delay causes financial hardship, the Taxpayer Advocate Service may be able to help.

Code 570 questions, answered

This guide is general information, not tax or legal advice for your specific situation. Eligibility for IRS programs depends on individual facts and circumstances; no outcome is guaranteed.

Related: learn how to read an IRS account transcript, see how far back the IRS can audit, or browse all guides.