TT says 2020 Federal Tax Return Accepted; IRS says not received - what now?

[lychee]

I filed using TT desktop. TT says my federal and state were both accepted and I received email confirmation on both (May 2021). I have received my state (CA) refund already, but still have not received my federal refund.

I checked IRS' "Where's my refund?" website link. As part of authentication process, it asks for my expected refund. It then tells me it's still pending as of 9/3/2021.

I tried retrieving a transcript from the IRS website. However, instead of a transcript, there's a letter requesting verification which says the IRS has not received my 2020 return.

Who can I call? I only have found IRS' automated phone lines which don't give me any more info than the website.

[DoninGA · Accepted solution]

Until the IRS fully processes the 2020 federal tax return there will not be a transcript available on the IRS website.

The IRS is seriously behind in processing 2020 tax returns.  This is due to many factors, such as the pandemic, completing processing of millions of 2019 tax returns, stimulus payments, unemployment compensation exclusion tax refunds., changes in the tax code by Congress in the middle of the 2020 tax season and the like.

Millions of taxpayers have not yet received there federal tax refunds.

Go to this IRS website for operational status - https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-operations-during-covid-19-mission-critical-functions-continue

The IRS is opening mail within normal timeframes and all paper and electronic individual returns received prior to April 2021 have been processed if the return had no errors or did not require further review.  As of August 20, 2021, we had 10.1 million unprocessed individual returns.  Unprocessed individual returns include tax year 2020 returns such as those requiring correction to the Recovery Rebate Credit amount or validation of 2019 income used to figure the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC). This work does not require us to correspond with taxpayers but does require special handling by an IRS employee so, in these instances, it is taking the IRS more than 21 days to issue any related refund and in some cases this work could take 90 to 120 days. If, as a result, a correction is made to any RRC, EITC or ACTC claimed on the return, the IRS will send taxpayers an explanation. Taxpayers are encouraged to continue to check Where’s My Refund? for their personalized refund status and can review Tax Season Refund Frequently Asked Questions.

What you should do: In most instances, no further action is needed but you may check Where’s my refund or you can view your account. If you filed electronically and received an acknowledgement, you do not need to take any further action other than promptly responding to any requests for information. If you filed on paper, check Where’s my refund? If it tells you we have received your return or are processing or reviewing it, we are processing your return, but it may be under review. We’re working hard to get through the backlog. Please don’t file a second tax return or contact the IRS about the status of your return.

[VolvoGirl]

Don't worry.  The IRS is working on it.  Since you got the state refund it means the IRS got the federal return.  You can not efile state unless federal was Accepted first.  So they got it.