2020 filed income tax return

[kulishdp]

I filed thru TurboTax my personal income tax return with Electronic acceptance dated 02/15/2021.  As of this date 04/13/2021 my return refund has not been process.  Checking IRS refund status daily states "Your tax return is still being processed".   It is 57 days since filing can you offer some advise as to why it is taking so long?

[HelenC12]

You’re not alone. Millions of tax payers are still waiting for their taxes to be processed by the IRS even though it's over 21 days. The IRS doesn't share your information with us so we can't tell you why your tax return is taking longer than 21 days to process. You could try calling the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 but expect long delays.

•  All you can do is keep checking the IRS Where's My Refund page to see if your refund status has been updated.

Per IRS, they have around 12 million tax returns that have been caught in a processing backlog created by the pandemic, which shut down the IRS for a time. Americans should see their refunds in the coming months. "We would hope to be through this backlog by the summer," said IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig.

• Keep checking the IRS Where's My Refund page to see if your refund status has been updated.

Other reasons some returns take longer to process are the following: 

• Perhaps you had a refund offset.
• Includes errors
• Is incomplete
• Is affected by identity theft or fraud
• Includes a claim filed for an Earned Income Tax Credit or an Additional Child Tax Credit. See Q&A below.
• Includes a Form 8379, which could take up to 14 weeks to process
• Needs further review in general
• The IRS will contact you by mail when we need more information to process your return.

[Reginaclaire12]

I filed my personal tax for 2020 with turbo tax in early April. It was simple, nothing out of the ordinary and was accepted. Federal IRS. I was to receive a$85 refund. Nothing,yet. All I can do is find sites where it says my claim is being processed. Can’t be right. Any suggestions. Can I get in touch with a real person who may help me? 

[mesquitebean]

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@ Reginaclaire12  wrote:

I filed my personal tax for 2020 with turbo tax in early April. It was simple, nothing out of the ordinary and was accepted. Federal IRS. I was to receive a$85 refund. Nothing,yet. All I can do is find sites where it says my claim is being processed. Can’t be right. Any suggestions. Can I get in touch with a real person who may help me? 

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If the IRS "Where's My Refund" tool

https://www.irs.gov/refunds

says your return is "still being processed", then you are among millions of folks affected by long delays at the IRS this year, including myself.  If you want to, you could try to speak to an IRS agent to see if they can tell you the specific reason for your delay, but they are not easy to reach. 

IRS:  800-829-1040 (7AM-7 PM local time) Monday-Friday

When calling the IRS do not choose the first choice re: "Refund", or it will send you to an automated phone line.

• First choose your language.  Then listen to each menu before making the selection.
• Then 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 may then ask for your SSN, but do not enter it.  Just wait.    If it asks for SSN a second time, still do not enter it.
• Then it will get "tired", and you'll get another menu.  Choose 2 for "personal".
• Then in the next menu choose 4 for "all other inquiries", and it should transfer you to an agent but expect a long wait.
• I usually use a speakerphone so I can work on something else while waiting.