CA State return showed up weeks ago. And they even had to take money out for child support from my spouse. So I don't understand what could be delaying the federal one. If the state got it done that fast and had an offset, which we received a letter about from the franchise tax board, (the same agency handling the federal return, I think) but no mail from the feds. This is all weeks ago.
The CA Franchise Tax Board (FTB) and the Federal IRS are totally separate and distinct tax authorities.
First the IRS handles Federal tax returns. It is not the same agency that processes your California state one. And you are not alone in the Federal delay. It's been an unusual year: COVID shutdowns, stimulus payments, major last minute tax law changes. A number of folks who wouldn't normally file Federal tax returns are doing so now to get the stimulus payments. This has increased the IRS' workload. And they didn't officially open until Feb 12 (even if you were accepted earlier) , so we are less than a month into tax season.
The FTB is also the name of the federal body the IRS has handle their offset administration, but it seems that states have their own lackeys in this instance. Weird neither represents their jurisdiction despite being named identically and doing the same thing with significant overlap. Now that's cleared up, I was more wondering about the change in status & removal of little graphic bar thing; if these are standard administration steps or something unique or unorthodox. Thx!