My refund status says accepted but not approved it's been 3 week's

[JakailaLO]

Accepted means your tax return is now in the government's hands and has passed the initial inspection (your verification info is correct, dependents haven't already been claimed by someone else, etc.).

After acceptance, the next step is for the government to approve your refund.

First,  they look for things like back taxes and unpaid child support. If they find any debts, they'll offset (reduce) your refund to cover the outstanding amount. Once they are satisfied that you have no outstanding debts, they will approve and then issue your refund.

Think of the e-filing/refund process along the lines of applying for a job; although the employer (government tax agency) has received (accepted) your job application, they still have to review (approve) your application before they grant you an interview (refund).

https://ttlc.intuit.com/replies/4689484

The IRS states that most refunds are received within 21 days from the time a return has been accepted and a refund option is selected. The IRS will hold the refunds claiming EITC and ACTC-related returns until Mid-February. 

Also, if you have EIC (earned income credit, aka EITC) or ACTC (additional child tax credit), the IRS will not start releasing those refunds until February 15.  That means people with those types of credits may not start receiving their refunds until around February 27.

NOTE:  If you chose to pay any TurboTax fees out of your Federal refund, that is another link in the chain, since your funds go first from the IRS to an intermediary bank where the fees are subtracted.  Then that intermediary bank sends the rest of the funds to your bank in a second direct deposit.https://ttlc.intuit.com/replies/3302084

[MorganShea]

How long does it take IRS to approve refund after they've accepted it? 

[BrandiLO]

The IRS estimates that most refunds will be sent within three weeks after your e-filed returns are accepted. Many refunds will come sooner. For more information, please click here.

[Daves raves]

My refund was accepted January 31st. It still only says accepted still. Should i be worried?

[TiffanyL]

At this time, no. The IRS issues most refunds in about 21 days, although some returns take more time to review. If it has been more than 21 days since your return was accepted, you can call the IRS directly to check on your refund status, using the link provided below:

When will I receive my refund

[jaquino91191]

My federal refund says accepted but hasn’t been approved. While as my state return has processing the return fast it seems, I am waiting for both to get approved. I filed 1/27 and got approved 1/27 as well. I do have a dependent. 

[TerukoL]

The IRS expects the earliest EITC/ACTC related refunds to be available in taxpayer bank accounts or debit cards starting February 27, 2019, if these taxpayers chose direct deposit and there are no other issues with their tax return.

Please click the IRS link Refund Timing for Earned Income Tax Credit and Additional Child Tax Credit Filers to learn more. 

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/refund-timing

[Shalynn18]

Mine says the same thing , let me know if anything has changed for you 

[JakailaLO]

@Shalynn18 please see post above from TerukoL

[Mrslady61]

My refund is still saying accepted not approved and it's been over 21 days, should I be concerned or contact someone?

[CassLO]

@Mrslady61 Even though the IRS issues 9 out of 10 tax refunds within 21 days, it's possible your return may require additional review and take longer to process.

Continue to monitor the IRS Where’s My Federal Refund? site for updates. Updates are made daily, usually overnight. You may also download the IRS2Go app to check your Federal refund status.

Where’s My Refund? has a tracker that displays progress through 3 stages:

(1) Return Accepted "Received," (2) Refund Approved and (3) Refund Sent.

Please see the links below for more information:

• Why do some refunds take longer than others?
• What if my IRS refund is taking longer than 21 days?
• Where's My Tax Refund? The IRS Refund Timetable Explained

[KW060584]

Hello I sent my refund off about 3 weeks ago but my status still says only accepted but not approved what could be the problem 

[xmasbaby0]

@KW060584

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.

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 20 of your 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

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

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...

[Sea Of Madness]

I filed in 2\26 and I have still not been approved by IRS. I'm worried because I read most people have their refund by 3\6 that file that week. My TurboTax account just says approved by IRS and nothing more