Your tax return is not filed until you complete the filing process and press the transmit button as the last step.
Most IRS forms are not ready at this time due to changes in the tax law, especially related to the coronavirus and the stimulus payments. The IRS will not open e-filing until January 27 at the earliest. TurboTax may open for e-filing on January 7, but if you file early, your return will go into cold storage until the IRS opens. Also, if you don’t get the second $600 stimulus by January 15, you have to claim it on your tax return. So don’t be in a hurry to file, and wait until at least January 15 before you try.
Some forms may not be ready until February or even March based on past year’s experience. After the IRS approves the final version of a new form with instructions, it usually takes one to three weeks for the form to be implemented in TurboTax and then be reviewed and approved by the IRS so that TurboTax can release the update.
If you believe you are finished, I would log in about once a week, starting no earlier than January 15. Check your return, see if there is anything that is flagged for review, and see if the forms that you need are ready to file. Your tax return is not filed until you complete the filing process and press the transmit button as the last step.
