If your return was accepted less than 21 days ago, hang in
there. It can take anywhere from a few days to 3 weeks to go from
acceptance to approval.
Even though the IRS issues 9 out of 10 tax refunds within 21 days, it's possible your return may require additional review and take longer to process.
For some taxpayers, PATH Act requirements and other identity-protection safeguards implemented by the IRS may account for longer wait times.
Other things that can delay your refund include but are not limited to:
- Liens, back taxes, or refund offsets;
- Errors, inconsistencies, or missing information;
- Identity fraud;
- Form 8379, Injured Spouse Allocation, which can take 11-14 weeks to process.
Also, if you chose direct deposit, your financial institution may need another day or two to post the refund to your account, so keep that in mind.
For the most up to date information on your refund, you can
track your federal refund here: Where's My Refund? which
provides a specific, personalized date for your tax refund. You
may also download the IRS2Go
app to check your Federal refund status.
Here is the general timeline of e-filed returns:
Transmission > Acceptance > Processing > Approval >
Refund.
