Why does IRS status state pending when turbo tax states that return was accepted?

The accepted status that TurboTax has indicates that the IRS has the tax return.

The IRS status of pending indicates that it has not has its initial review.

 

Be sure that your return status is Accepted

• It should not show Pending, or Rejected
• The return will also have to be processed.
• Therefore there may be a time delay between Accepted and issuing the refund.

Other reasons your refund can be delayed

• If you mailed your return and expect a refund, it could take four weeks or more to process your return.
• In addition some tax returns take longer to process than others for many reasons, including when a return:
  • Contains errors or is incomplete
  • Needs further review in general
  • Is affected by identity theft or fraud
  • Was referred to the IRS by the bank due to suspicious activity
  • Includes a claim filed for an Earned Income Tax Credit or an Additional Child Tax Credit. See Q&A below.
  • Includes a Form 8379, Injured Spouse Allocation, which could take up to 14 weeks to process
  • And I'm sure a host of other issues

The IRS does not use the word "pending".

 

 

FROM THE IRS WHERE’S MY REFUND SITE:

https://www.irs.gov/wheres-my-refund

How it works

Where's My Refund shows your refund status:

• Return Received – We received your return and are processing it.
• Refund Approved – We approved your refund and are preparing to issue it by the date shown.
• Refund Sent – We sent the refund to your bank or to you in the mail. It may take 5 days for it to show in your bank account or several weeks for your check to arrive in the mail.