How long does it take for a refund to be “accepted”?

[VolvoGirl]

Not until the IRS opens Efiling on Monday Jan 23.   They have been  pulling a few returns early to test.

[Angel96]

Thank you

[SteamTrain]

..annnd "Accept"ing a tax return is not the same as Approving the refund.

The Refund Approval comes days-to-weeks later as the IRS continues processing all the tax files they've accepted.

[Opus 17]

"Accepted" means the tax return file has been downloaded into the IRS system and passed basic quality control checks.  It does not mean a refund has been approved.

The IRS claims that 90% of refunds are approved within 3 weeks.  Once a refund is approved, it may take up to 10 days to be deposited into your bank account.

Some refunds are delayed until after February 15 for legal reasons, even if the refund is approved earlier.

[Angel96]

Thank you but yes, I am asking for the ACCEPTED time frame. I don’t worry once it’s approved, that takes time.

[Angel96]

Thank you but yes, I am asking for the time frame from pending to ACCEPTED. 😅

[Opus 17]

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@Angel96 wrote:

Thank you but yes, I am asking for the time frame from pending to ACCEPTED. 😅

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That's tricky.  The IRS officially opens e-filing on Monday, January 23.  They may take some returns early for testing but there is no way to know who or how many.  Once e-filing is open, the IRS needs to connect to each tax company's data warehouse, download a batch of tax returns, perform quality control checks, and either accept or reject them.  They say it can take up to 48 hours, but I have never personally had to wait more than a few hours.  On the other hand, I think they are often slowed in the first few days.