We were supposed to receive our federal refund on or around 3/8/21 and I check everyday on the status and the IRS just says it is still being processed.

[gossman64]

I can not get ahold of anyone a the IRS and have not received any letters of any sort either. Where is my money?

[xmasbaby0]

Federal and state refunds come from completely separate entities.  There is no rule as to which one will come in first or how long it will be between their arrival in your account.

Sadly, the IRS refund site has been behaving erratically and has not always been reliable this year.   TurboTax has no control over this and cannot find out anything about your refund for you.

https://www.irs.gov/refunds

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/taxes/the-irs-is-behind-in-processing-nearly-7-million-tax-returns-s...

TurboTax gives you an estimated date for receiving your refund based on a 21 day average from your date of acceptance, but it can take longer.  “21 days”  is not a promise from TurboTax or the IRS.   Many refunds are taking longer during the pandemic.  The IRS is backlogged —-they are still trying to process millions of 2019 returns; they received millions of e-filed on the day they opened for 2020 returns, and now they are burdened with sending out another round of stimulus checks.   

Some delays are resulting from incorrect amounts that folks entered for stimulus checks they received.   Many people have been confused by the recovery rebate credit and completed it incorrectly.  The IRS may delay your refund while they cross-check to see what you received.

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 34of your 2020 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...

[SweetieJean]

Was the 3/8/2021 date from TT?   That was just an estimate.  The IRS is seriously backlogged due to all the recent new tax laws and extra stimulus filings, as well as a few million unprocessed 2019 returns left over from the COVID shutdown.  Contacting the IRS will not speed things up, and they have implored taxpayers not to call.  Lots of other folks are still waiting, so please continue to be patient.  Also see:

The IRS is under serious stress — what does that mean for your refund? (msn.com)

What led to IRS backlog: ‘Thin workforce,’ new pandemic relief programs | Federal News Network