Why is it that when I look up my tax return online, it says it cannot be found when I filed in April?

If the IRS "Where's My Refund" tool is not finding your information, here are some things you should check before phoning the IRS customer service.

First, you need to be sure the return was successfully filed.  It depends on how you chose to file the return.

If you filed a paper return by mail, TurboTax does not mail it for you.  If you chose that method, you would have had to print it, sign it, date it, and mail it yourself.  It takes at least 4 weeks for a mailed return to show up in the IRS WMR tool.

  If you efiled, double-check to be sure the return was efiled successfully and accepted.  If you used Online TurboTax, you can sign into your Online Account and check the efile status at the Tax Home.  What do you see there--does it say accepted, rejected, printed, started, ready to mail, or something else?

If that showed it was accepted, (or if you mailed a paper return), you can use the "Where's My Refund" tool at the IRS website below to monitor the status of your Federal refund.  
https://www.irs.gov/wheres-my-refund

If that IRS tool says it's not finding your information, here are some tips:

• Be sure you enter the correct tax year, SSN, and filing status.
• Be sure you are using only the Federal refund amount.   Do not include any state refund or any total refund or net refund (Fed and State) that TurboTax may have provided you on a summary screen.  
• Look at your actual Federal return to get the Federal refund amount, i.e., your Form 1040, Line 35a.