If taxes are not accepted until jan 29th why does it say accepted

[mesquitebean]

The IRS doesn't officially open for routine processing of returns until January 28.  But every year they pull a few returns early for testing purposes so that their systems are ready when they throw the door open on January 28.

It sounds like you are one of the few test filers who have been accepted early.   You can double-check the efile status by signing back into your account or by using this efile status check tool:

https://shop.turbotax.intuit.com/efile/efile_status_lookup.jsp

After 24 hours, you can "try" looking at the IRS "Where's My Refund" tool, but most early filers who have been accepted are getting a message there saying that no information can be given and referred to Topic 152 and code 9001.  That likely means the WMR tool is not ready yet for full function and/or the IRS is not actively processing the return until January 28 (or intermittently processing it), so there's no info for the WMR tool.   Info may actually come and go there for a while until things start up normally.  So that WMR may not be reliable for a while.

  https://www.irs.gov/Refunds

I can add this, however:   If you have EIC (earned income credit) or ACTC (additional child tax credit), then by law the IRS will not start releasing those types of refunds until after February 15, which means filers who have those types of credits, will likely not see Federal refund until around the end of February.

[chris11two]

I used the efile status tool on here and it says my return was accepted. But when I go to the IRS site it’s only at “return received” So does this mean they haven’t accepted it after all?

[chris11two]

I used the efile status tool on here and it says my return was accepted. But when I go to the IRS site it’s only at “return received” So does this mean they haven’t accepted it after all?

[mesquitebean]

"Accepted" is only an efile status term.  It has nothing to do with anything the IRS is doing after they received your return.

"Accepted" means you have successfully transmitted your return to the IRS, and that it was in the proper format that meets the IRS initial requirements to begin processing it.   It doesn't have anything to do with whether or not they agree with the entries in your return, since it has not yet been processed.   Now that they have it, they will have to process it.   They open up on January 28.

In a normal year the IRS says that 9 out of 10 filers who efile and choose direct deposit for a refund will receive the refund within 21 days.   No one knows yet what delay (if any) the now-ended partial government shutdown will have as well as all the changes in the new tax laws.

You can check the WMR tool periodically.
<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://www.irs.gov/Refunds">https://www.irs.gov/Refunds</a>