TurboTax doesn't pre approve anything ... they help you to complete a return that can be filed.  Once you transmit the return the IRS/State take over ... TT is just the delivery service.  Although the IRS has pulled a few returns to test the system they are not accepting all early filed returns at this time  and NO return will process before 1/27 no matter when they were accepted ... so filing early is not always a good thing.

"Where's my tax refund?"

Ever wonder what happens between efiling your tax return and receiving your refund?

Here is what really happens when you press that green button and transmit your tax return.

• First, we "stamp" the return with an electronic postmark, and then we send it to the government.
• Then we both wait 24 to 48 hours for the IRS to accept your return.
• What are they doing? They are checking your personal information to make sure it matches their records.
• If everything looks good, the IRS accepts your return.

Once you are accepted, you are on the IRS payment timetable. Only the IRS knows the status of processing your tax return, whether you owe taxes or are due a refund. In prior years, the IRS issued more than 9 out of 10 refunds to taxpayers in less than 21 days last year. The same results are expected for 2020.

Once you have e-filed your tax return, there are a few ways to check the status of your refund:

• You can use the IRS Where’s My Refund? tool (fastest option)
• Call the IRS at 800-829-1954

The tool will get you personalized refund information based on the processing of your tax return. They will provide an actual refund date as soon as the IRS processes your tax return and approves your refund. Most refunds will be issued in less than 21 days. You can start checking the status of your refund within 24 hours after you have e-filed your return.

Remember, the fastest way to get your refund is to e-file and choose direct deposit.

Other tools and refund delays

You can also use the TurboTax Where's My Refund tracking guide that will show you how to check the status of your tax refund and common reasons for delays.

These articles explain in more detail what may cause a delay:

• Where's My Refund? Top 5 Reasons It's Been Delayed
• Delays Due to Claiming the Earned Income Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit
• Why is my IRS refund taking longer than 21 days? 

IS FILING BEFORE THE IRS STARTS PROCESSING RETURNS REALLY WISE ???

Although TurboTax will  allow you to e-filed some returns as early as 1/2   they are NOT sent to the IRS.  TurboTax stores those early filed returns  until the IRS opens for business and pulls the returns for processing (Currently the start date is 1/27/20 but subject to change) ...   only then will you get an e-mail telling you if the return was accepted or rejected by the IRS.  

Only the simplest returns can be transmitted to TurboTax early.    Some forms will not be finalized until Jan 25 and some later than that.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1908854-forms-availability-table-for-turbotax-federal-products-exc...

Why does TurboTax allow early filing?  Because their competitors do - It is a marketing ploy to capture market share.

Filing early with TurboTax before the IRS opens  is a really BAD IDEA for many reasons...

1) If you discover something that is wrong on your return, receive a W-2 that is different, receive some other tax document that was not on the return that you filed then there is NOTHING that you can do about it other than wait to see if the IRS accepts or rejects the return after they open.  If rejected you can correct and file again, but if accepted then the only remedy is to amend which can take 4 months to process.

2) You must remember to check back after the IRS opens (or check for an e-mail) to confirm that the IRS has accepted or rejected the return.  If rejected, then it was never filed at all and must be corrected and re-filed.  Every year many taxpayers that file early, forget to check back and only discover months later that they never actually filed because if was rejected by the IRS but they had forgotten about checking back after filing with TurboTax.

3) While the IRS does conduct some pre-opening tests and does accept some returns early (ONLY for TESTING purposes), they will not actually  process those until after the official opening date.  There is a reason to test and that is to discover any problems with it's systems.  A couple of years ago a test went bad and several thousand "test" returns were lost.   The IRS was able to recover those but it delayed refunds for some by months.

There is no real advantage to file before the IRS opens  but there are several disadvantages to do so.

Refund Timing for Earned Income Tax Credit and Additional Child Tax Credit Filers   https://www.irs.gov/individuals/refund-timing

Taxpayers who claim the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Additional Child Tax Credit may experience a refund hold. According to the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act, the IRS cannot issue these refunds before mid-February. The IRS expects the first EITC/ACTC related refunds to be available in taxpayer bank accounts or on debit cards by the first week of March, if they chose direct deposit and there are no other issues with their tax return. Check Where’s My Refund for your personalized refund date.

WMR on IRS.gov and the IRS2Go app will be updated with projected deposit dates for most early EITC/ACTC refund filers by February 22. So EITC /ACTC filers will not see an update to their refund status for several days after Feb. 15.

The IRS, tax preparers and tax software will not have additional information on refund dates, so Where’s My Refund? remains the best way to check the status of a refund. Where’s My Refund? is only updated once daily, usually overnight, so you don’t need to check the status more often.

Why is my refund being held?

If you claim the EITC or ACTC on your tax return, the IRS cannot issue your refund before mid-February. The law requires the IRS to hold the entire refund — even the portion not associated with the EITC or ACTC. Like previous years, some tax refunds may be held if there are questions about the tax return or the IRS needs more information.

When will I get my refund?

The IRS expects the first EITC/ACTC related refunds to be available in taxpayer bank accounts or on debit cards by the first week of March, if they chose direct deposit and there are no other issues with their tax return. Check Where’s My Refund for your personalized refund date.

Why does it take so long for the funds to show up in my account?

It takes additional time for refunds to be processed after leaving the IRS, and for financial institutions to accept and deposit them to bank accounts and products like debit cards. Also, many financial institutions do not process payments on weekends or holidays, which can affect when refunds reach taxpayers. For EITC and ACTC filers, the three-day holiday weekend involving President’s Day affects their refund timing.

How do I check the status of my refund?

WMR on IRS.gov and the IRS2Go app will be updated with projected deposit dates for most early EITC/ACTC refund filers by February 22. So EITC /ACTC filers will not see an update to their refund status for several days after Feb. 15.

The IRS, tax preparers and tax software will not have additional information on refund dates, so these filers should not contact or call about refunds before the end of February.