The state and Federal returns are examined and processed by 2 different tax agencies, each doing their own thing at their own speed. Some returns take longer for additional processing due to specific items in the return. Some are pulled at random for more thorough investigation.
"Accepted" in TurboTax returns to the efile process and means your efiled return was in the proper format such that the IRS agreed to start processing it. i.e,. that there were no SSN, DOB issues, etc. TurboTax will continue to show your efile status as "accepted" since that's the only status it receives.
You'll have to keep checking the IRS WMR tool until it says the funds have been "sent."
If your Federal return has been processing longer than 21 days, you can phone the IRS to see if you can learn anything about the delay.
IRS: 800-829-1040 hours 7 AM - 7 PM local time Mon-Fri
Listen to each menu before making the selection.
First choose your language. Press 1 for English.
Then do not choose the first choice re: "Refund", or it will send you to an automated phone line.
Instead, press 2 for "personal income tax".
Then press 1 for "form, tax history, or payment".
Then press 3 "for all other questions."
Then press 2 "for all other questions." It should then transfer you to an agent, but there is likely to be a long wait.
I usually use a speakerphone so I can work on something else while waiting.
Once the IRS does release your funds, there could be another link in the chain:
Did you have any TurboTax fees that you chose to pay out of the Federal refund? If so, the funds go first from the IRS to a temporary account at an intermediary bank where the fees are subtracted. Then that intermediary bank sends the rest of the funds on to your bank (or card.) If you used that method to pay fees, and if the IRS has actually released the funds, we can tell you how to check on the funds at the level of the intermediary company.
