Not sure what you mean by "forever" since the IRS did not even begin to process 2020 returns until February 12.
FROM THE IRS:
https://www.irs.gov/refunds
Please note that the IRS says its own system is lagging and you do not need to call the IRS about your refund.
Sadly, the IRS refund site is behaving erratically and is not always reliable this year. TurboTax has no control over this and cannot find out anything about your refund for you.
TurboTax gives you an estimated date for receiving your refund based on a 21 day average from your date of acceptance, but it can take longer. “21 days” is not a promise from TurboTax or the IRS. Many refunds are taking longer during the pandemic. The IRS is backlogged —-they are still trying to process millions of 2019 returns; and they received over 35 million e-files when e-filing opened for 2020 returns.
First, check your e-file status to see if your return was accepted:
https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/efile-status-lookup/
If accepted, they try to process it within three weeks but it can be longer. if you have earned income credit or additional child tax credit, it will be at least the end of February before you see your refund, due to the PATH act that requires that they hold your refund longer.
Once your federal return has been accepted by the IRS, only the IRS has any control. TurboTax does not receive any updates from the IRS. Your ONLY source of information about your refund now is the IRS.
You need your filing status, your Social Security number and the exact amount (line 34of your 2020 Form 1040) of your federal refund to track your Federal refund:
https://www.irs.gov/refunds
To track your state refund:
https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1899433-how-do-i-track-my-state-refund
https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901548-why-do-some-refunds-take-longer-than-others
If you chose to have your TurboTax fees deducted from your federal refund, that will take some extra time, while the third party bank handles the refund processing.
https://www.irs.gov/refunds/tax-season-refund-frequently-asked-questions
https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2840013-does-accepted-mean-my-refund-is-approved
https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2724106-my-return-is-accepted-but-still-not-approved-is-there-a-pr...
https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/3397970-path-act-delayed-refunds-for-some-filers
https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc152
**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**
