Turbotax says i got my return for 2020 but I haven't received any payment. How can I collect or at least check where the money was sent

[xmasbaby0]

TurboTax did not say you received your refund.   In fact, TurboTax never knows if or when you got your refund.  The IRS / states never tell TT anything after your return is filed.   TurboTax only knows the result of the return that you prepared and whether it showed a refund or tax due.

TurboTax does not get any information at all from the IRS after you file your tax return.  No one at TurboTax knows what the IRS is doing with your return.

The IRS refund site is not showing information now for 2020 refunds.  It is only showing 2021 refund information, so if you try to track a 2020 refund it will tell you there is no information.

There have been a lot of delays for 2020  federal refunds.  Did you mail your return or e-file?

If you mailed it:

MAILED RETURNS

If  you mail a tax return (or a payment) to the IRS, it is a good idea to use a mailing service that will track it like UPS or certified mail so you will know it was received.

When you mail a tax return, you need to attach any documents showing tax withheld, such as your W-2’s or any 1099’s. 

TurboTax will not know anything about your mailed return, and will continue to show “Ready to Mail” on your account.  TurboTax will not know that you put your tax return in an envelope and took it to a mailbox.  TurboTax does not get updates on mailed  (or e-filed) returns.

The IRS refund site is only showing information about 2021 refunds now so it will not show anything about your 2020 refund.

Or......

Did you e-file?  Did you click a big orange button that said “Transmit my returns now?”

When you e-file your federal return you will receive two emails from TurboTax.  The first one will say that your return was submitted.  The second email will tell you if your federal return was accepted or rejected.  If you e-filed a state return, there will be a third email to tell you if the state accepted or rejected your state return.

Does your TT account say that your return was accepted?  Or does it say something else—like “rejected”, “printed” or “ready to mail?”  If it does not say accepted then it was not filed unless you put it in an envelope yourself and mailed it.

 TurboTax does not mail your tax return for you.

If your e-file was accepted:

If you chose to have your fees deducted from your federal refund:

Santa Barbara Tax Products Group, LLC  (SBTPG) is the bank that handles the Refund Processing Service when you choose to have your TurboTax fees deducted from your refund. This option also has an additional charge from the bank that processes the transaction. 

You can contact them SBTPG, toll-free, at 1-877-908-7228 or go to their secure website www.sbtpg.com 

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

To call the IRS:IRS:  800-829-1040  hours 7 AM - 7 PM local time Mon-Fri

Listen to each menu before making the selection.

First choose your language. Press 1 for English.

Then do NOT choose the first choice re: "Refund", or it will send you to an automated phone line.

Instead, 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 should then transfer you to an agent.

TAX ADVOCATE

At the following IRS website, find the USA map and click on your state, and it will give you the number of your area's IRS Taxpayer Advocate.

http://www.irs.gov/uac/Contact-a-Local-Taxpayer-Advocate

Also see this article for more info on how the Taxpayer Advocate Service works::
http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc104.html

[jacobaberard]

I appreciate the very detailed response. It says that my return was accepted I even checked the 1040 to make sure that the account information for the automatic return was correct. Where would I find this orange "transmit my return" button?

[xmasbaby0]

The big orange button to e-file your return was in the FILE section.   If you did not e-file your 2020 return, or if it was rejected and you did not notice, it is too late now to e-file it.   A 2020 return cannot be e-filed.   It has to be printed, signed, and mailed now.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1900990-how-do-i-file-a-prior-year-tax-return

When you mail a tax return, you need to attach any documents showing tax withheld, such as your W-2’s or any 1099’s.  Use a mailing service that will track it, such as UPS or certified mail so you will know the IRS/state received the return.

Federal and state returns must be in separate envelopes and they are mailed to different addresses.  Read the mailing instructions that print with your tax return carefully so you mail them to the right addresses.

[PattiF]

You can check the status of your refund by starting on the IRS page Where's My Refund? This will display the status of your most recently filed tax return within the past two years.

Your refund has been delayed for longer than usual which may be due to extra processing for some forms.

If your refund was lost, stolen, or destroyed, you can check on Where's My Refund? for detailed information about filing a claim if this applies to you. Here is a link  FAQ from the IRS for Tax Season Refunds.