If the federal refund was Approved or Issued it would indicate that on the IRS federal tax refund status website.
If accepted by the IRS use the federal tax refund website to check the refund status - https://www.irs.gov/refunds
After the tax return has been Accepted by the IRS (meaning only that they received the return) it will be in the Processing mode until the tax refund has been Approved and then an Issue Date will be available on the IRS website.
See this IRS website for federal tax refund FAQ's - https://www.irs.gov/refunds/tax-season-refund-frequently-asked-questions
Sorry, maybe you didn't read my question properly or I'm just not being clear. I submitted my return, I owe the IRS which I already paid...I am not looking for refund status, there is no refund. My submission status on Turbo Tax merely says the IRS ACCEPTED the return, does not say anything about approval. Where can I find the current status of a return that does not have a refund. Or do I just assume what they accepted is approved until/unless I get audited in the near future? Thank you
Right. The IRS will mail you a letter if they have questions or change your return. Don't worry about it. Nothing you can check or do.
When,where can I find out if my refund was approved
Did you read the posts above?
IRS Where’s my refund https://www.irs.gov/refunds/