I filed over 6 weeks ago. My status still says printed. Why is my refund taking so long to process?

[CarissaM]

If your status is showing as printed, this means you printed your returns and sent them in by mail. 

If you mailed in your returns, it takes 3-4 weeks for the IRS to receive your return. 

You can track your return by checking the Where's My Refund website located here. 

[xmasbaby0]

“Ready to mail”or “Printed”  means that your tax return has not been filed.  Either you could not e-file for some reason , or you chose to file by mail.  OR if you really did already mail your return, the software does not have any way to know that you put your return in an envelope and took it to a mailbox, so it will always say “ready to mail” in your online account.

TurboTax does not mail your return for you.  You have to print it, sign it, and mail it yourself.  When you mail a tax return, you need to sign it where it says "Sign Here" and write in the date you signed it by the word "Date".  Attach copies of your W-2 and any other documents that show taxes withheld to the left side of the papers where it says "Attach Forms..."

When you print your return, it will print with filing instructions that tell you where to mail it.  Pay careful attention to the address you mail your return to —federal and state returns do not get mailed to the same place.

It is not required, but is a good idea, to use a mailing service that will track your return or provide you with a receipt showing that the IRS got it--such as Fedex, UPS, or certified mail.  It will take about 4 weeks and then you can track the status of your return at the IRS website.

You can print your return by following the instructions below

Sign in to your account using exactly the same account and user ID that you used to prepare your return.
On the bottom of the screen find Your tax returns & documents and click on Show.  Click on the Year and Click on Download/print return (PDF)

To send your tax return by mail and get a receipt to see that the IRS and/or your state received it:

https://www.usps.com/taxes/welcome.htm

To track your Federal refund:   

https://www.irs.gov/refunds

To track your state refund:    

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1899433

On the IRS site you are also offered the use of an app called IRS2Go

To change to e-filing:

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/3399683-how-do-i-change-from-mail-to-e-file-in-turbotax-online?jum...

[snn1162]

I mailed a federal return 8 weeks ago, checked irs.gov for a refund status, but the status says that there is no information to provide. There is currently no live help at the IRS. At what point should I consider trying to re-file or do you have any recommendations for a situation like this? My state taxes were filed at the same time and the payments were accepted/cashed within a week or so. 

[SusanY1]

There is no need to refile your paper filed return.  It hasn't been processed yet, because the IRS is not currently processing paper filed returns.  That department is closed. 

When normal operations resume, the IRS will process these returns in the order received.  It is not yet known when operations will resume.

@snn1162

[holesj1]

I e-mailed my federal tax 4 weeks ago. Would like status?

[DoninGA]

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@holesj1 wrote:

I e-mailed my federal tax 4 weeks ago. Would like status?

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The IRS only started accepting federal tax returns on 02/12/2021 which was only 20 days ago.

Once a tax return has been Accepted by the IRS or a State, TurboTax receives no further information concerning the tax return or the status of any tax refund.  
If accepted by the IRS use the federal tax refund website to check the refund status - https://www.irs.gov/refunds
If accepted by the state use this TurboTax support FAQ to check the state tax refund status - https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1899433-how-do-i-track-my-state-refund

After the tax return has been Accepted by the IRS (meaning only that they received the return) it will be in the Processing mode until the tax refund has been Approved and then an Issue Date will be available on the IRS website.
See this IRS website for federal tax refund FAQ's - https://www.irs.gov/refunds/tax-season-refund-frequently-asked-questions

[Anonymous]

But I never printed or mailed them. I thought they were e filed. 

[SForrestLO]

@Damianchris40

This Turbo Tax FAQ will show you how to check your e-file status, as this is something we will not know. You will also receive an email advising you of the return being accepted or rejected.

If you opted in for text messages, you will receive that also. 

How do I check my e-file status?

[VolvoGirl]

@Anonymous   Did you go all the way through the File tab, through the 3 steps and hit the big orange Transmit Returns Now button?

You can double check your efile status here     

https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/efile-status-lookup/   

When you efile you get back 2 emails.  The first email only confirms the transmission.  The second email says if the IRS (or state) Accepted or Rejected your efile.  Accepted only means they accepted your return FOR Processing.  Not that your return is right.

When you log into your account you should also see the status and if it was Accepted or Rejected, Started, Printed, Ready to Mail, etc.  what does it say?

[stparish]

I e-filed both my returns (federal and state) on 2/21 and both are saying the same thing, that the are still being processed.  I know that state can take up to 6 weeks, but I though the IRS was within 21 days, which we are long past now.   

[xmasbaby0]

TurboTax gives you an estimated date for receiving your refund based on a 21 day average from your date of acceptance, but it can take longer.  “21 days”  is not a promise from TurboTax or the IRS.   Many refunds are taking longer during the pandemic.  The IRS is backlogged —-they are still trying to process millions of 2019 returns; they received millions of e-filed on the day they opened for 2020 returns, and now they are burdened with sending out another round of stimulus checks.   

Some delays are resulting from incorrect amounts that folks entered for stimulus checks they received.   Many people have been confused by the recovery rebate credit and completed it incorrectly.  The IRS may delay your refund while they cross-check to see what you received.

First, check your e-file status to see if your return was accepted: 

https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/efile-status-lookup/

Once your federal return has been accepted by the IRS, only the IRS has any control.  TurboTax does not receive any updates from the IRS. Your ONLY source of information about your refund now is the IRS.

You need your filing status, your Social Security number and the exact amount  (line 34of your 2020 Form 1040) of your federal refund to track your Federal refund:   

https://www.irs.gov/refunds

To track your state refund:    

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1899433-how-do-i-track-my-state-refund

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901548-why-do-some-refunds-take-longer-than-others

If you chose to have your TurboTax fees deducted from your federal refund, that will take some extra time, while the third party bank handles the refund processing.

https://www.irs.gov/refunds/tax-season-refund-frequently-asked-questions

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2840013-does-accepted-mean-my-refund-is-approved

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2724106-my-return-is-accepted-but-still-not-approved-is-there-a-pr...

[Ksh76]

Mine were filed 8 weeks ago as well and they are still not showing as received. The IRS website says they are currently processing paper returns but I now have the info need to efile. Would it just kick the paper form out If I efiled it instead? 

[xmasbaby0]

No ----e-filing would not "kick the paper return out."  It would more likely lead to confusion and delay since you already filed by mail and the IRS would see two returns for you.