Does it normally take almost 3 months to get a federal tax return?

[chrik8]

I filed electronically using TurboTax in the middle of February and it is now May 3rd. This seems like an extraordinarily long amount of time to wait for a federal tax refund.

[SusanY1]

Normally, no, but this year we are hearing a number of reports of refunds taking this time - and longer.  The IRS has a significant backlog of tax returns.  They are actually still processing 2019 tax returns, including many that were electronically filed. 

If your tax return required any manual intervention, which it sounds likely is the case, then it is not possible to estimate at this time when your refund might reach you.  Manual intervention is most common this year if the IRS records reflect a different amount of first and second round Economic Impact Payments made than your tax return reports received.  This was especially common in early and mid-February returns as many tax payers filed as the IRS was still sending out payments resulting in reports of payments not received which were then received a few days later. 

The IRS has to adjust those refunds manually before processing and this is causing delays. 

This may not be the case for your specific delay, but the number of returns affected by that issue is responsible for a significant portion of the backlog. 

If there is any issue which requires action on your part, you will receive a letter requesting the information needed from the IRS.  If you do not receive any letter, there is not anything that you need to do (or can do) to speed up the processing of your return and the receipt of your refund.  

[Critter-3]

Have you checked your status here: TurboTax and IRS ?

Although the IRS has processed and issued most refunds from e-filed returns around 21 days, because of the pileup caused by Covid, CARES Act, stimulus and the American Rescue Plan Act, some of the returns will require more time to review. 

Several items can  delay the processing of the 2020 return ... some of which are :   

> unemployment

> repayment of the PTC

> stimulus credit  on line 30 of the 2020 form 1040

> if you used the 2019 earned income for the 2020 EIC &/or  CTC/ACTC

> if you have prior year balance dues or unfiled returns

> the info on the W-2 doesn't match what the employer sent in and/or the employer's W-2 is not yet on file

> a variety of other items that require humans to look at

Due to understaffing and over tasking at the IRS again this year many returns will be delayed for as much as months.  The aging computer system is being over taxed trying to process millions of  2019 returns and 2020 returns (some of which will need extra processing this year due to the late tax law changes)  AND putting out the third stimulus payments.  If you want to vent to someone then contact your  local congress person and demand they fund the IRS sufficiently so that they can hire enough people and update their computer systems to handle all of the demands made upon this agency.  The IRS  can only do so much with the continued reductions to their budget. 

See this recent news article:

Where is my damn IRS tax refund? New answers emerge as delays frustrate millions (msn.com)