My tax return hasn’t came yet it has been 21 days and Turbotax has told me that it was approved already. Look on the IRS site it has not been approved and is processing

[tiessman]

So why would turbo tax tell me it was approved and it wasn’t? Why hasn’t it been approved after 21 days?

[xmasbaby0]

Look again at what TurboTax said.  TT did not use the word "approved."  TurboTax never tells you that your refund was approved.  TT tells you that the return was 'accepted"---which is not the same thing.  Only the IRS can approve it.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2840013-does-accepted-mean-my-refund-is-approved

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.  “21 days”  is not a promise from TurboTax or the IRS. 

First, check your e-file status to see if your return was accepted: 

https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/efile-status-lookup/

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 35a of your 2023 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

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://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2580357-who-provides-the-refund-processing-service

https://www.irs.gov/refunds/tax-season-refund-frequently-asked-questions

[JulieS]

No, TurboTax told you it was accepted, not approved. 

The IRS and TurboTax use different terms to describe the different steps they take in the e-filing process.

When you e-file your tax return, it's Pending, then Accepted. Accepted means the IRS has your return, and TurboTax no longer is involved with the processing of your return. TurboTax is never updated on the progress of your refund after it is accepted. 

The IRS steps are:

• Return Received - the IRS has your return
• Refund Approved - the IRS has finished processing and has approved your refund
• Refund Sent - the check has been issued, or the deposit scheduled.