IRS cycle code decoder.
The 8 digits next to code 150 on your transcript: which week your return posted, and what the last two digits are read to mean.
2027 cycle code chart.
Each posting cycle is a Friday-to-Thursday week. The cycle number is the week in which your return posted.
| Cycle | Friday | Thursday |
|---|---|---|
| 202701 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 |
| 202702 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 |
| 202703 | Jan 15 | Jan 21 |
| 202704 | Jan 22 | Jan 28 |
| 202705 | Jan 29 | Feb 4 |
| 202706 | Feb 5 | Feb 11 |
| 202707 | Feb 12 | Feb 18 |
| 202708 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 |
| 202709 | Feb 26 | Mar 4 |
| 202710 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 |
| 202711 | Mar 12 | Mar 18 |
| 202712 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 |
| 202713 | Mar 26 | Apr 1 |
| 202714 | Apr 2 | Apr 8 |
| 202715 | Apr 9 | Apr 15 |
| 202716 | Apr 16 | Apr 22 |
| 202717 | Apr 23 | Apr 29 |
| 202718 | Apr 30 | May 6 |
| 202719 | May 7 | May 13 |
| 202720 | May 14 | May 20 |
| 202721 | May 21 | May 27 |
| 202722 | May 28 | Jun 3 |
| 202723 | Jun 4 | Jun 10 |
| 202724 | Jun 11 | Jun 17 |
| 202725 | Jun 18 | Jun 24 |
| 202726 | Jun 25 | Jul 1 |
| 202727 | Jul 2 | Jul 8 |
| 202728 | Jul 9 | Jul 15 |
| 202729 | Jul 16 | Jul 22 |
| 202730 | Jul 23 | Jul 29 |
| 202731 | Jul 30 | Aug 5 |
| 202732 | Aug 6 | Aug 12 |
| 202733 | Aug 13 | Aug 19 |
| 202734 | Aug 20 | Aug 26 |
| 202735 | Aug 27 | Sep 2 |
| 202736 | Sep 3 | Sep 9 |
| 202737 | Sep 10 | Sep 16 |
| 202738 | Sep 17 | Sep 23 |
| 202739 | Sep 24 | Sep 30 |
| 202740 | Oct 1 | Oct 7 |
| 202741 | Oct 8 | Oct 14 |
| 202742 | Oct 15 | Oct 21 |
| 202743 | Oct 22 | Oct 28 |
| 202744 | Oct 29 | Nov 4 |
| 202745 | Nov 5 | Nov 11 |
| 202746 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 |
| 202747 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 |
| 202748 | Nov 26 | Dec 2 |
| 202749 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 |
| 202750 | Dec 10 | Dec 16 |
| 202751 | Dec 17 | Dec 23 |
| 202752 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 |
Questions people ask
What is the cycle code on my transcript?
The 8 digits next to code 150: the year, the two-digit posting cycle (the week), and two day digits. It tells you which week your return posted to the IRS Master File.
Which week is cycle 04?
Posting cycles run Friday through Thursday. In 2026, cycle 202604 ran from Friday, January 23 to Thursday, January 29 (IRM 3.30.123).
What do the last two digits mean?
Tax practitioners read them as the processing day within the week (01 to 05), and 05 as weekly processing. The IRS does not publish this meaning, so we use it only to group timelines, never as a rule.
Does my cycle code tell me my refund date?
No. It tells you when the return posted. The forecast uses it with your other codes and with timelines of people who posted the same week.
Sources
- IRM 3.30.123, Processing Timeliness: Cycles, Criteria and Critical Dates
- IRS Document 6209 (2023), section 16
Checked against these sources on October 30, 2026.