My 2021 federal taxes status is still "being processed". Are there other people that are in this situation and is there anything I can do to speed up or help the process?

[chiuchiu_sorin]

I worked in Maryland during the summer of 2021 as an exchange student. I did receive the State taxes, but the federal taxes are still being processed and beside checking the status, I cannot call the IRS as I'm not in USA.

[xmasbaby0 · Accepted solution]

@chiuchiu_sorin You mentioned that you are an exchange student but you did not mention your immigration status.   If you are a non-resident alien you should not have used TurboTax.   You should have filed on a Form 1040NR, which is not supported by TurboTax.  That might explain the long delay in processing your return.

No we cannot speed up the IRS for you.   TurboTax gets no information after you file your tax return.

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 2021 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://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...

OR——if you filed by mail, expect a long wait.   It is taking the very backlogged IRS six to nine months to process mailed returns.   Until a human opens your envelope and enters the data into the system, nothing will even show up on the refund site, so you will have to be very patient.

[chiuchiu_sorin]

@xmasbaby0 

Didn't know that I cannot use TurboTax if I'm a non-resident. It's my first time filing taxes and I used it at the recommendation of other peers who had more experience with this.

I filed electronically and it was accepted by the IRS, as it mentions in TurboTax app, and I did receive State taxes.

When using the IRS "where is my refund" tool, all the info I get is that "the tax return is still being processed". 

Knowing that TurboTax is not usable for non-residents, should I amend the tax form or file it again using another website? Or is there anything I can do beside waiting for the IRS to process this and keep me updated?

[xmasbaby0]

NO do not amend.   Amending is a process you should only use if the return has been fully processed.  Your return is still being processed. And, no do not try to file again using another website.  The IRS will not accept another return from you.   Sorry.....you need to wait for the IRS to finish processing your return.   You can check the refund site for information.  

[chiuchiu_sorin]

Thank you very much for your patience and useful answers! I shall continue to wait for an update from IRS than