The IRS recently announced they will start processing 2018 returns on January 28, 2019.
While TurboTax allows you to efile now, it's not a good idea to file this early--especially this year with all the marked changes in the new tax laws. Depending on your situation, some forms in your Federal or State return may not be available yet. Of course, you must wait until you have received all W-2s, 1099s, etc. before filing. Do not prepare and file a return on the basis of pay stubs.
If you efile now, your return just sits on TurboTax servers until the IRS starts pulling returns from TurboTax on January 28 (except for a few test returns it pulls early.) If you efile now and later notice a mistake or receive an additional tax form, you cannot retrieve the return to correct it. In that case you have to wait until the IRS either accepts or rejects the return on or after January 28, before you know how to proceed. If the IRS accepts the incorrect return, then you have to wait on your Federal refund and then prepare an amended return, which can be a hassle. If the IRS rejects a return, however, then you could make any corrections and resubmit.
If your return shows you will receive earned income credit (EIC) or additional child tax credit (ACTC), then by law the IRS cannot issue those types of refunds until after February 15. With the current government shutdown, no one knows what delays will be encountered this year.
