After acceptance, but before processing the status may not be available. This is normal, until the government starts reviewing and processing your return, they won't have any record of it. Make sure to only enter your federal income amount, not federal and state combined. Another important factor can be if you are married filing jointly and make sure you are using the Social Security Number for the name that appears first on the return. If still no record, wait and try again. The IRS Where's My Refund? tool updates every 24 hours.
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.
For some taxpayers, PATH Act requirements and other identity-protection safeguards implemented by the IRS may account for longer wait times. (Earned Income Tax Credit (EIC) and/or Additional Child Tax Credit)
Other things that can delay your refund include but are not limited to:
- Liens, back taxes, or refund offsets;
- Errors, inconsistencies, or missing information;
- Identity fraud;
- Form 8379, Injured Spouse Allocation, which can take 11-14 weeks to process.
Also, if you chose direct deposit, your financial institution may need another day or two to post the refund to your account, so keep that in mind.
Here is the general timeline of e-filed returns:
Transmission > Acceptance > Processing > Approval > Refund.
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