I filed on 1/12/19 and still says pending and irs hasnt recieved it?

[Critter]

WHY HASN’T MY 2018 RETURN BEEN ACCEPTED YET?

The IRS is not going to begin to accept/reject returns until January 28.  Until then it is pending on a server.  You will get an email after that telling you if your return has been accepted or rejected.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/4169486-can-i-change-my-return-if-i-already-submitted-it-and-you-r... 

[Critter]

Here are my annual words of caution since some are so eager to file the returns early….remember patience is a virtue and don't plan on your refund being in your account on a certain date then you won't be disappointed or overdrawn.  It is very possible that you  get a DD date then it gets put on hold while the IRS reviews the account which can delay it for months. Do not be in a rush to transmit the return … once you press that button you cannot stop the filing or make any changes until the IRS accepts or rejects the return.

Last year the IRS started verifying W-2 forms before issuing a refund which means filing your return before the W-2 is issued will not work since your return will be held up until the employer has filed the W-2 with the IRS. And if you have Earned Income Credit or the Additional Child Tax credit the returns cannot be processed at all until 2/15 so those refunds will not hit until late February at the earliest … see this page : 

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/2018-tax-filing-season-begins-jan-29-tax-returns-due-april-17-help-avai...  


The IRS no longer processes returns in first in first out batches. They are processed individually so returns sent in at the same time will not necessarily process together.

The IRS states that 9 of 10 returns will process in 21 days or less from being accepted not filed. However considering that the IRS processes more than 140 million returns that means 14 million will be delayed for more than 21 days. 

Think of the IRS process as a long pipe line. Some returns will be rejected before being allowed into the pipe and the rest will be accepted. Then once accepted into the pipeline many will process directly through without any delays and some will not.  Some returns will be siphoned off for further review of some kind. The basis of what triggers these reviews is a well guarded secret but some are just picked randomly every year.

Some reviews are automated and some will require human attention. The processing times will vary and due to the continued understaffing situation and the gov shutdown  they are likely to take much longer this year than last.

[natashav2003]

Same! Have you been accepted yet? I file early every year and I’ve never been pending before. Always accepted same day. Not this year 

[Critter]

Well this is not a normal year ... the IRS was in and still is in partial shutdown so things are moving slower ... they will not start processing any returns until 1/28 even if the return is accepted early in a test batch so sit tight. And not everyone who filed early have been pulled in a test batch so again patience will be needed.

[Texas Roger]

If don't believe the IRS has ever accepted returns in the middle of January. It is always near the end of January before they start accepting returns. Perhaps you submitted your return earlier this year than in past years. Returns are never accepted the same day until the IRS begins officially accepting returns.

[natashav2003]

That’s where you are wrong. I’ve never NOT been accepted within two days of filing, the earliest date I’ve filed was 1/6 and was accepted 4 hours later. Used TT for 7 years and never waited more than 2 days to be accepted until this year. This year it’s been 9 days and still pending.

[Texas Roger]

Unless your tax return is pulled early in a test batch by the IRS, it will not get accepted or rejected until on or after Jan. 28 when the IRS officially begins pulling returns from the TurboTax servers.

[Critter]

My fake return is still pending since 1/4 ... proves that not ALL returns are being pulled ... and early acceptance will not move your return thru the process any faster.