Only the IRS will know what they are doing with your return. All returns are not processed at the same speed. Some items they check more closely, and some are pulled at random for more scrutiny or for fraud checks.
Also, if you have EIC (earned income credit, aka EITC) or ACTC (additional child tax
credit), the IRS will not start releasing those refunds until February
15. That means people with those types of credits may not start receiving their
refunds until around February 27.
When everything goes routinely, the IRS says 9 out of 10 filers who efile and choose direct deposit
will get their refunds within 21 days (except what I stated above for that mandated PATH Act delay of EIC and ACTC returns in early February each year.)
