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New Member
posted Feb 12, 2020 3:57:41 PM

What happens if the it’s accepts your tax refund but doesn’t approve it?

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1 Replies
Level 15
Feb 12, 2020 4:08:24 PM

My return got accepted. What happens next?

 

Congratulations! Accepted means your e-file has passed inspection (such as Social Security numbers are correct and dependents haven't already been claimed) and the government has your tax return. Consider acceptance as your official government packing slip.

           

Are you getting a refund?

After acceptance, the next step is for the government to review your refund.

During the review process, they look for math errors on your return (extremely rare in TurboTax) and check if you owe back taxes, unpaid child support, or other debts.

             

If they need to make any corrections, they may offset (reduce) your refund. In some cases, the correction might even increase your refund.

 

Once that part's done, the government approves your refund, which means it's ready to be deposited or sent.

 

It can take up to 21 calendar days after acceptance for the IRS to issue your refund, although most refunds go more quickly than that, while a small handful may take a bit longer.

 

Start tracking your federal refund at the IRS Where's My Refund site.  For state refunds, go to your state government's refund lookup service.