How long does it take for irs to approve you once they've accepted your taxes

[Christinam198534]

I did my taxes on  friday 3/28 at 12:23pm but it's  now  Tuesday  and  it still  says pending? Should  I  be  worried?

[CassLO]

@Christinam198534 Pending status means that the IRS has received your tax return but has yet to start processing it. Sometimes returns stay in Pending for several days or even longer, especially when submitting your return just before the weekend. The IRS is also running on a limited staff right now. Keep checking the Where’s My Refund?  site for updates. The IRS updates the site daily, usually in the overnight hours.

Where’s My Refund? has a tracker that displays progress through 3 stages: (1) Return Received, (2) Refund Approved and (3) Refund Sent.

Please see the links below for more information:

• When will I get my IRS tax refund?
• Where's My Tax Refund? The IRS Refund Timetable Explained
• IRS Tax Season Refund Frequently Asked Questions

[bardos93]

How long does it take for the irs to approve a refund because mine got accepted today and I would like how long it’ll be to get my refund 

[SForrestLO]

This Turbo Tax FAQ will provide more information on when the IRS will begin accepting returns.

When will the IRS start accepting e-filed returns?

[Cara00420]

My return was accepted not approved yet. I'm guessing it could be up to 3 weeks before its approved for a refund? Is that a normal to accurate time frame?

It was accepted on 02/10/2021.

[AkinaLO]

Yes. Taking up to 21 days for your return to be issued is the normal timeframe for the IRS.

Some returns are approved sooner, and some returns can be approved later, but the average time is 21 days from the date of acceptance.

Please refer to the help article below.   

When will I get my IRS tax refund?     

[Sabrinaa31xo]

Taxes weren’t being accepted until Feb 12th and if you have dependents they won’t be until after Feb 21st. As I was told.. 

[Mattias]

It depends on if you know the difference between your & you’re....

[Cpritt2122]

Mine still isn't approved and was accepted a week ago! And this is just to claim stimulus money I didn't get for my children! So why the hold up?

[ErnieS0]

Do you have the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC)? Those returns are delayed by law. The law provides additional time to help the IRS stop fraudulent refunds and claims from being issued, including to identity thieves.

The IRS anticipates a first week of March refund for many EITC and ACTC taxpayers if they file electronically with direct deposit and there are no issues with their tax returns. This would be the same experience for taxpayers if the filing season opened in late January. Taxpayers will need to check Where's My Refund for their personalized refund date.

[Lynn71]

Having e-filed for several years, I've found it usually takes 4-5 days for the status on the IRS site to change.  This year, my return was accepted on 2/23 & the IRS site shows it approved today -2/27.  

[Ladybug05]

I filed my taxes it said the IRS accepted it on Feb 12th here it is April 1st and I haven't received it . Usually when I file I get within 2 weeks after filing. This is the first year I have had this issue. When I check the IRS Wheres My Refund tool it tells me it is still processing. How do I find out what's going on with my money?? I've tried calling I get the same automated system. I'm tired of waiting if I owed money it would've been taken out the day after so whats the hold up??

[Mattias]

Im in the same boat....direct deposit, one w-2, single, already got my stimulus so didnt ask for that, shouldnt be any reason for delay. I know several people personally, same thing. A letter would be nice. Still processing my ass. 

[RODRICK Crocker]

It's been 21 day haven't got money yet

[ToddL99]

If it has been 21 days since your return was accepted and you haven't received your refund, be patient - you are not alone.  A whole lot of people are experiencing the same issue. 

If you filed your 2020 taxes and haven't received your refund, your experience is very common -  the IRS is encountering major delays in processing 2020 tax returns, and is almost impossible to reach by phone. 

The IRS Where’s My Refund? site is still the best first place to go for information. 

Why is this happening? Tax season (normally Jan 1 - Apr 15) is the busiest time of the year for the IRS. This year, they have also had to deal with major changes in the tax law, including ones that were passed retroactively in the past two weeks. They are also struggling with the same COVID workplace and workforce issues the rest of the country has encountered. 

According to  the Washington Post (Mar 12, 2021): 

Nearly 7 million tax filers are in limbo and facing substantial delays in getting refunds so far this tax filing season, as the Internal Revenue Service struggles to keep up with the demands of issuing stimulus checks and implementing myriad tax code changes from coronavirus relief packages, including the one President Biden signed this week. 

There are 6.7 million returns that have not yet been processed, more than three times the number in the same period last year, when fewer than 2 million returns faced delayed processing, IRS data shows. 

@RODRICK Crocker