I filed my tax return the end of Feb and still haven’t received it....why is it taking so long?

[Drew15two]

I electronically filed with direct deposit.  On the 24th of Feb.  Where is My Refund still hasn’t updated.  What is taking so long?

[MayaD]

The IRS issues most tax refunds within 21 days of the filing season start, however, some tax returns take longer to process than others for many reasons, including when a return:

• Includes errors
• Is incomplete
• Is affected by identity theft or fraud
• Includes a claim filed for an Earned Income Tax Credit or an Additional Child Tax Credit. See Q&A below.
• Includes a Form 8379, Injured Spouse Allocation PDF, which could take up to 14 weeks to process
• Needs further review in general.

 Where’s My Refund? will give you a personalized date after we process your return and approve your refund.

You can also call the Taxpayer Advocate Service toll-free at 1-877-777-4778, or fill out Form 911, Request for Taxpayer Advocate Service Assistance. The Taxpayer Advocate Service is an independent organization within the IRS and is your voice at the IRS. 

[Drew15two]

There is not update on where is my refund’s webpage.  Status still is “Your tax return is still being processed.”  I have not been notified of any errors or actions I need to take.  Any other ideas?

[SamS1]

Could be number of reasons for refund delays, especially this year. Generally it is due to dependent verification, refund offset, or information mismatch. You can get a free transcript of your return to review of any holds or codes. Click here to you get your free online transcript.

Did you have unemployment benefits. So to not have to process thousands of amended returns, if you had unemployment benefits the IRS could be holding your return for processing once their systems are updated for the American Rescue Plan Act that excludes the first $10,200 of unemployment benefits if your adjusted gross income is less than $150,000.   

If you have earned income credit and/or additional child tax credit, it is probably delayed. Returns with either of these credits are covered under the PATH act, which gives the IRS authority to delay the refund to verify dependent information on your return. For 2020, the IRS was not issuing refunds for these returns until the 1st week of March. 

Do you have any refund offsets such as back taxes, student loans, child support, state obligations (Court costs), etc. This could delay your refund and you will receive a letter indicating the change.

If you answered the stimulus questions incorrectly, this will delay your refund. If you claimed the Recovery Rebate credit on your return, the IRS is matching stimulus payments to returns with the Recovery Rebate credit. If there is a mismatch, you will be receiving a letter.

Keep checking IRS.gov "Where's my Refund" for the most up to date information.

Check here also for more information on refund delays.

[Drew15two]

Thanks for the input.  We do have additional child tax credit but the number of kids remains the same for 2019.  The only other “oddity” is we had carryover from the child tax credit from the previous year (2019) that we also used in 2020.  Everything else was pretty standard.  Standard W2s with the standard deduction with some small self employment income.  

[Cynthiad66]

This year the IRS is processing Stimulus payments first.  Pretty much everything else was on hold they are currently starting to issue refunds.

Your e-filed return is still in pending on the server because the IRS is currently accepting/rejecting/processing returns.  Sometimes it can take more than 48 hours to process. Only a few returns were accepted early in a test batch.  Everyone else has been waiting.   Please see the TurboTax FAQ below for more information on pending returns:

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/return-status/help/what-does-pending-mean/00/26331

Once your tax return has been submitted, the most up to date information will come from the IRS.

It can take anywhere from a few days to 3 weeks to update. Until the IRS starts processing it on their own, you may not find record of it or the website may say that you have put in incorrect information when tracking your federal refund. As your return moves through the system, the status of it will be updated accordingly. Continue checking the Where’s My Federal Refund?  tool for updates. 

Please see below for more information on what accepted means:

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/return-status/help/what-does-accepted-mean/00/26285

Per @ KatrinaLO