Accessed means that the IRS is going through your tax return to make sure that everything is correct. It means that your return has passed the initial screening and, at least for the moment, has been accepted.

Approved means they are preparing to send your refund to your bank or directly to you in the mail.

Accepted means your return was received by the government and the basics like your Social Security number seem to be in order.

After acceptance, the next step is for the government to approve your refund.

Please see the TurboTax FAQ below; for more information, click here.

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williamslori917

Level 2

I got a letter from the IRS my taxes have been accessed and not sure what they mean? I went online and did what they asked and was told to call a number and can’t get through

Monikak11

Level 2

If you are referring to an email regarding accessing your tax return:

TurboTax sends automatic emails to notify you of changes made to your account, such as updating your payment method, changing your password, or signing in for the first time on a new device.

TurboTax is letting you know that someone signed into your TurboTax account. This message is sent to you on the off-chance that your account was accessed without your knowledge. This most often occurs when you log in using a different device or computer than you used the last time you logged in.

If you are referring to an email about your tax refund, this usually means your tax return was checked by the IRS and there was either a change in the amount of your refund or the amount of what you owe.